Hero of Olde
by blueper
Summary: A hero borne before his time, borne in the days of old when legends like Theseus, Heracles, Leonidas, and Achilles weren't mere fairytale and myth but actual examples to look up to. Pulled from his time, hidden away for the future, can this hero save the world in a way that would make those who knew him in the past proud?
1. Prologue

_'thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO, no matter how much I wish I did.

Prologue

"Is this really your will my king? You wish for me to do this. Truly?" The raven haired, youth asked of Theseus, King of Athens.

Theseus attempted to look into the eyes of his guest, yet he couldn't bring himself to. It was shame, he felt extremely shamed at not being able to meet the fierce gaze leveled at him. All because he knew what he would see in those eyes.

He would see his own reflection. He would see the image of one who is conducting a betrayal. All for the love of a goddess that may never return his love as much as he wanted her to.

"Yes. Now go, you must make it there before the messenger does. We have already given our answer, but that doesn't mean Sparta will believe it until we give proof. To them we are nothing more than poets and scholars." Theseus scoffed.

Without a word, the young man turned on his heel and left the king's throne room.

Theseus leaned back heavily on his throne and rubbed his temple. "Are you sure about this Athena? He is strong, stronger than any we have here. We will need strength to get through these coming times and he would be invaluable. No matter his age, he is a great asset to Athens."

From the shadows of the throne room stepped a regal looking woman. She had stormy grey eyes fixed on a rather cold looking face. Her long dark hair was plaited and hung down her back. Athena goddess of wisdom, war, arts and many other things nodded firmly in Theseus' direction.

"Greece faces a coming storm. War is on the horizon, and we must fight it with strategy as well as strength. Sparta will no doubt think of nothing but attack. We must plan ahead and think of all other angles. I know you don't like it my love, but he must be forced to grow up. Leonidas while quick to anger will help him along the way." Athena spoke firmly but with a touch of tenderness as she walked to Theseus.

"I can only hope you're right Athena." _'And I can only hope he forgives me for lying once more. He has never forgiven me for what happened to Hippolytus'_ Theseus added silently.

* * *

A week. It took a week for him to get to Sparta. It would have been far longer but from Athens he sailed to the coast closest to Sparta and with a prayer to Poseidon he arrived faster than normal. After that he grabbed the fastest horse he could find and took off.

Just as he was walking through the city, following a guide that would take him to the king of Sparta, he noticed a gathering of people off to the side of the main road.

"Ah I believe we have found the king. Another messenger arrived moments before you did. Let us make our way over to the king now. I'm sure he wouldn't mind seeing you both." The guide explained rather rudely at having to lead the messenger from Athens around.

As the duo walked towards the open courtyard where everyone had gathered a few things became obvious. Whatever message this man from Persia brought, it wasn't a good one.

A few choice words caught their ears as they neared Leonidas. He slightly insulted Athens, by claiming that if the 'philosophers and boy-lovers' had turned down the Persians than Sparta could afford no less.

"Choose your next words carefully Leonidas. They may be your last… as king." The messenger warned.

The raven haired youth from Athens almost snorted in amusement. As if threatening the king of a foreign land would win you favors, no matter your own position.

A light wind blew throughout the courtyard and into the open plains behind the city. It was calming yet forewarned a coming storm.

Leonidas turned his back to the messenger, to look out over his kingdom.

In an instant he whirled, blade in hand and at the Persian's throat.

All the Spartan guards also disarmed the Persians and moved them at sword point to the pit in the courtyard, the very pit that Heracles himself swore lead to the underworld.

As Leonidas explained the folly that the messenger committed, the youth from Athens frowned but agreed. _'Asking for a gift of water and earth. This Xerxes sure is confident. He thinks that Poseidon will allow him any sort of dominion over water? Idiot.'_ He thought.

"This is blasphemy!" The Persian tried to reason, "This is madness!"

All the gathered Spartans scowled at the nerve of the Persian. Going to a well-known war-like city state like Sparta and demanding subservience and servitude to a false god-king was madness. What Leonidas did, threatening the messenger was not.

Leonidas looked incredulously at the dark skinned man from Persia. "Madness?" he questioned. He shook his head and tensed. "This. Is. Sparta!" He cried out.

Before any one of the Persians could back away from the pit, Leonidas stepped forward and gave a mighty kick. The sole of his foot connected squarely with the chest of the Persian.

Slowly, ever so slowly it seemed, every single Persian was pushed and fell to their doom.

Some were stabbed by the Spartans.

Some pushed.

None survived.

Only once the screaming could no longer be heard did Leonidas turn to address his subjects. To call forth a meeting with the council and see what they had to say now.

The lone Spartan that had accompanied the messenger from Athens took this opportunity to step forward. "King Leonidas. There is another messenger here to see you." He indicated the young man behind him, looking on coolly at all that had happened. "He is from Athens."

No doubt the Spartan hoped that this upstart from Athens would get the same treatment as the Persian. In his book, anyone not from Sparta, anyone who did not value strength as highly or more so than artistry or intellect was not worth their time.

Instead Leonidas took in the young man's appearance. Black hair as dark as the night, eyes as green as emerald jewels, a light coppery skin tone, and his age, he was no older than 15 or 16 at most. The age where most Spartan children were sent out to the wild to make them men.

"Who might you be and what message does King Theseus send us?" Leonidas asked.

Theseus, while a noted scholar himself and one who often spoke of using more than brawn or skill in battle to win, was well respected by Leonidas. Despite what Theseus loved of his city, he was still an incredibly skilled warrior. One who only fools would take lightly.

"I actually came to inform you of our position when it comes to the Persians." He carelessly waved at the pit, "It seems we share the same opinion to their proposal however. And as for who I am. Well… I am Perseus, son of Poseidon, half-brother to Theseus, and commander of the Athenean military forces."

* * *

A/N so after reading such an awesome 'percy in the past' story written by Anaklusmos14 I have been swamped with ideas for one of my own. In order to get those ideas out of my already crowded head I had to write them down. I hopefully did a good job of piquing peoples interest. Keep in mind this is only a prologue and chapters will be longer. Please leave all questions, concerns and comments on your way out.


	2. Perseus of Athens

'_thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO, no matter how much I wish I did.

Chapter One: Perseus of Athens

A snort came from his left and Perseus only slightly turned to see who. "An Athenean. One that claims to be a son of Lord Poseidon as well? Do you take us for fools boy? Why would you come here and spread such lies?"

Perseus put on a condescending look and arched a brow in Theron's, the council member's, direction. "While it is Athens that celebrates and advises using their wit above brute strength, it is still common sense not to insult the brother of a king. Even if you suspect him of lying of his parenthood. Or have you forgotten what happened the last time you insulted my King _council member?"_

Theron glared with all he had at Perseus. All around him the Spartans who knew Theseus laughed. To insult that particular king was idiotic and something Theron had learned the hard way.

Theseus too had been called a liar for claiming Poseidon his father. This was before Theron knew he was the newly crowned King of Athens. To prove his claim Theseus asked Theron to climb the highest tree he could find and then Theseus would prove his heritage.

Theron in an effort to embarrass Theseus had climbed a tall tree going about 40-50 feet up. Once up at the highest branch Theron had mocked Theseus and wondered how he would go about proving who his father was. Theseus had merely grinned at the braggart and fool and used what little of his demigod powers he could control to cause a localized earthquake around the tree.

The squeals of fright and shouts of terror from Theron had amused not only Theseus but all who bore witness to the act to no end. To this day Theseus would often mock Theron even though it had been many years since the incident.

A slow mocking smile spread across Perseus' face. "But if you would like me to prove my worth… I have heard that if you climb a tree around here the most interesting things can happen. It's almost like you can prove your parentage on them. It's like your family tree or something."

Stelios, long haired and one of the most loyal men to King Leonidas barked out a laugh. "I certainly believe him. None but the family of a King, one who is surely but a misplaced Spartan, would dare speak that way. Tell me Perseus, are you sure you and King Theseus were not stolen away from Sparta? You are nothing like the other weak-kneed men of your kingdom."

Perseus only smiled thinly at the cocky but not ill intentioned Spartan. "No. We are just not as restrained as others would like. I don't see that changing any time soon either no matter who tries."

More laughter all around at Perseus' ability to give as good as he got.

After his chuckles died down Leonidas stepped forward to greet the boy from Athens. "Perseus, son of Poseidon and brother of Theseus. It seems you arrived a bit later than you would have liked." He waved at the pit and Perseus looked slightly annoyed, "But we welcome you to Sparta nonetheless. Come, we can talk more as my men gather the rest of the council and we decide on what to do about these Persians."

Percy nodded but was careful not to let his nervousness show.

While it was true that he was strong and confident in his own skills as a warrior, Leonidas wouldn't be talking to him as a mere warrior. He would be talking to him as a King talking to an emissary from Athens. Perseus couldn't afford to make his home look bad, nor could he make them look weak by letting Leonidas push him around.

At the same time, by declaring for all to hear that he was a demigod, it earned him respect. Not because he was a son of a god but because it was common for demigods to keep their heritage secret and trust no one until they could either defend themselves or they had some sort of way to keep safe. It wasn't uncommon for demigods to be treated with scorn or be targeted as a form of revenge on their parents.

Theseus was in his twenties before he revealed his father for all to see. That Perseus did it and at such a young age in a city where no one would hesitate to challenge him, spoke volumes of either his bravery and strength or foolishness.

"What was King Theseus' reaction to the Persian messenger when he visited?" Leonidas asked curiously as he walked alongside the young warrior.

For there was no doubt he was a warrior. Apart from the obvious sword strapped to his side, he was well muscled and had rough hands. Ones that showed he worked hard at what he did.

Apart from that he had claimed to be the commander of the Athenean military forces. Not an easy feat at such a young age but if he was really Theseus' half brother than it was likely true.

Perseus measured his words carefully. "He was extremely insulted that a so called god-king would dare ask Athens for subservience. So of course he insulted them with words and then had them kicked out of the city." Perseus forced a grin on his face, "He has a certain way with words and insults that I'll never match."

Leonidas barked out a laugh and clapped him on the shoulders. "I see you are a man of action Perseus. That does sound like something Theseus would do, but never doubt his strength. He is just as skilled with his arm and his sword as he is with his words."

Perseus nodded for he knew it was true. There were few in the world who could cross blades with Theseus and live.

"Come along then Perseus. I must go and inform the council that a visit to the Ephors is needed. Once we get there blessing we can plan out how to go about repelling those cowardly Persians from our homeland." Leonidas called for another of his long time friends to arrange a place for Perseus to stay.

In the meantime Leonidas would do as he said and inform the council what he did to the Persian. From there he would need to climb the mountain where the Ephors lived and consult the oracle. Without knowing the words spoken by the oracle, words that were said to be the thoughts and blessings of the gods themselves, Leonidas knew Sparta wouldn't commit to assembling a force against Persia.

* * *

_1 week later, Sparta_

"So then Sparta has opted not to fight because of a religious festival huh?" Perseus asked Astinos, a Spartan soldier he'd befriended that was close to his age.

Astinos was the son of Captain Artemis, one of King Leonidas' personal guards. He was the oldest of three sons born to the captain and had been handed the task of keeping an eye on Perseus.

It had been a week since his arrival to Sparta. A week spent in and out of meetings with members of the Spartan government, explaining over and over the position Athens had taken against Persia. It was tiring and annoying work, especially since Theron was in his element in those meetings and there was little Perseus could do to shut him up.

Leonidas had been busy himself trying to rally support for a full scale offensive against Persia. Unfortunately he had to garner approval and blessings from the oracle before the council would commit. Approval that had been failed to be delivered.

Perseus shrugged off those strange customs that Sparta had. Of them going to war only if their half drugged supposed oracle told them to.

He knew of only one true oracle channeling the spirit of Delphi and it certainly wasn't in Sparta.

"Yes. Theron has advised the rest of the council not to commit to war during our festival of Carnea. The oracle not blessing our involvement certainly didn't help matters." Astinos answered the young warrior of Athens.

Perseus sighed and fell back to lie on the grass. He had his arms folded underneath his head and was glad he'd found shade under the tree to fend off the fierce sunlight.

"What will happen now? I will have to bring some sort of news back to my King. I was told to find out what Sparta would do and then meet up with the Arcadians before heading to the Hot Gates." Perseus closed his eyes in thought, planning his next move.

Astinos took a seat near the young Athenean but paid careful attention to the weapon at his side. "King Leonidas is displeased with the stance Sparta has taken. He is forced to obey, but…" Astinos trailed off and struggled with himself whether or not to reveal the next part, "he recognizes that Persia might attack the half brother of King Theseus and try to force Athens' surrender. Because of that he has offered to escort you back to Athens using whatever route you wish, along with some of his guards."

Perseus sat up slowly at hearing that bit of news. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Is that so? Well I think I should arrange a meeting with King Leonidas to thank him for his generosity. We might even be able to work out the most beneficial route to take. To make it safer of course."

Astinos was careful to not let amusement show on his face. He'd been told to test the waters with Perseus and see how he would react to the King's offer to escort him from Sparta. He knew that he and his father, and Stelios comprised a unit of 300 Spartan's that had volunteered to join the king. It was nothing but a thinly veiled strike force to defend the Hot Gates and hold off the Persians.

The young Spartan thought that he would have to convince Perseus to agree to go along with their plan; or at least he would have to explain it more in depth for him. But Perseus had proven that his half brother was not the only one born with a sharp mind as he'd seen through the ruse of King Leonidas quite easily.

If you can't get official permission to protect your home then simply find another way.

With a laugh Perseus jumped to his feet and offered a hand to Astinos. "Come along Astinos. I fear that my departure of Sparta draws near. I of course must thank Theron for his hospitality before I leave though."

Astinos laughed too as he was pulled to his feet. Despite being younger than him, Perseus showed no fear, or perhaps it was recklessness, in speaking his mind whenever he wanted it. Theron annoyed him and so Perseus would often mock him in some form whenever they met.

* * *

_4 days later, Pellana_

It was unbelievable. Perseus had seen many things in his short life but the sight before him was not one of them.

King Leonidas along with 300 Spartans had 'offered' to escort Perseus to his next destination to ensure his safety. All present knew what they were doing and so there was little to argue over despite the animosity between Sparta and Athens.

Some considered it a suicide mission but even so some respected Perseus for being in the thick of it. Perseus had explained his orders to Leonidas, how he was to hopefully convince Sparta to join in the alliance to hold off the Persians. From there Perseus himself would fight alongside the various city states and push back the Persian army.

He was young but did not shirk away from duty. Spartans respected that just as much if not more than strength.

So they had marched for days, hoping to get to the Hot Gates in a little over a week. What they had encountered on the way though was sickening.

Pellana, a small village that was a popular rest stop for travelers, had been razed to the ground. Women, children, men all killed with no apparent survivors. Blood and gore was everywhere.

No building was left untouched, all were burning. The skies above were dark as if from a fierce storm but instead it was due to the smoke in the air.

Perseus and the Spartans walked all through the town looking for survivors. They didn't have much hope of finding any but they tried anyways. Some broke off into parties to widen their search area.

"Who could be responsible for this? What was the reason?" Stelios asked. Even if he loved Sparta and all that it represented, not even Stelios could ignore the terrible fate that had befallen Pellana.

The King of Sparta stood strong despite the carnage around him. He looked around for any clues or causes of the destruction. "Persians."

Captain Artemis stepped forward and presented his finds. "They numbered around 20 judging by their foot prints."

"Scouting party." Leonidas declared firmly. He was knowledgeable in the arts of war, there was little reason to doubt him.

All the Spartans were jumpy at hearing that the Persians had done this. It had been recent too, judging by the fires still burning.

"Behind us!" Astinos shouted as he caught the glimpse of a shadow from the corner of his eye.

At once all the Spartans jumped and raised their shields. Spears out and ready to thrust and kill.

Perseus who had been quiet the entire time strained his ears for any sounds. Small footsteps could be heard coming their way. His eyes widened as the shadow grew longer and a person was starting to emerge.

He took off at a dead run towards the person. Some of the Spartans were yelling at him to wait and not run to his doom but he ignored them. Soon they understood why he ran to the person emerging from the shadows.

It was a little girl. A child no older than 10 or 11. She was stumbling and lurching every few steps. Blood ran down from the side of her head and she looked in terrible shape.

As Perseus got closer to her he could tell she was barely keeping herself alive. He jumped at the girl when he was a few short meters away from her and stopped her from falling over. Carefully he cradled the girl in his arms as she lost the ability to walk.

"Healer! Someone amongst you must be a healer! We need to help this girl." He shouted to the stunned Spartans.

Quickly they all made their way over to him and surrounded him. Leonidas stepped forward to check the girl over. His face was grim as lifted her eyelids and checked her head.

"It's quiet now. I don't hear their screams any longer. It's quiet now." The little girl whispered pitifully.

Perseus looked desperately at the king. Hoping for some good news.

Leonidas just shook his head. The girl was lucky to have survived this long, but she had lost a lot of blood and looked to be dehydrated from hiding in the fires most likely to avoid the Persian scouts.

"No. I won't allow it. Not again. Not after Hippolytus." Perseus insisted. "Water. Give me some water."

Astinos stepped forward and placed a hand on the young Greeks shoulder. "She cannot drink Perseus. It would do more harm than good."

The son of Poseidon slapped his hand away and demanded once more. "I said water. I need someone to give me water."

Sadly but with a look of understanding Leonidas handed his own pouch of water over. Expecting to see Perseus tilt the opening into the girl's mouth. What happened next surprised even him however.

Perseus lay the girl down on the ground. He checked her pulse to make sure she still breathed before continuing. From there he took the pouch of water and held his hand over the opening.

He then started to sing, it started off as a prayer of sorts, then moved to a chant before ending in a song. A song of healing and guidance. A song where he asked the god Apollo to lend him aid.

The water was pulled from the pouch by what the Spartans thought of as magic. It floated in the air before forming a ball. Perseus moved the ball to the girls head and it glowed slightly as he kept singing.

After the glow died down he moved the water to the few bruises he could see and fixed a bone that he hadn't noticed before was broken. From there the last stop he made was to hover the ball over the little girls chest.

The ball seemed to momentarily sink into the girls chest before pulsing with bright light. After a few seconds he pulled it back out.

All the while the Spartans were speechless at the display of power shown. If any had doubts before, none doubted now that Perseus was indeed a son of Poseidon. Only a demigod and son of the king of the oceans could command water in that way.

By the end of his healing session, Perseus was quite drained. Sweat poured off him in waves and his face was slightly pale. He tossed the orb of water somewhere behind him and then slumped to the ground.

"Perseus." Leonidas gripped his arm before he could fall completely. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He answered tiredly. "Just drains me a lot. I'm not so good at healing. Just something Asclepius taught me not too long ago. If you'll excuse me I need rest. Please watch over her."

With a quick prayer before he succumbed to unconsciousness Perseus fell limp in the kings arms. Leonidas just chuckled and was soon joined by his fellow Spartans.

"Perhaps this son of Athens isn't as hardy as I thought. Look at him. Falling asleep already." Leonidas motioned for one of his men to pick the girl up as everyone shared a laugh.

'_Perhaps all hope isn't lost just yet Perseus. All of us here knew what we were getting into and I lamented the fact that I would be leading such a young but powerful Greek to his death. But now, maybe we won't all meet Charon in the underworld together.'_ King Leonidas for the first time in a long week, had hopes that maybe, just maybe, his 300 Spartans would hold off the Persian army long enough to receive reinforcements.

After all, what chances did a false god-king like Xerxes have against Leonidas and his men. Especially when one of those men was the son of a real god. Even if Perseus was from such a wimpy kingdom like Athens.

* * *

**A/N **I don't like hotdogs. I just don't. It's not important really but after today I felt that my distaste for that particular food should be known.

Please leave all questions and concerns on your way out. Someone asked me last chapter but I guess I should let everyone know here too. I'm not sure about the pairing at the moment. Sorry if that's disappointing but maybe I'll set up a poll for people to vote. Know this though, it won't be Annabeth/Percy. I like the canon relationship they have and feel like anything I write would be just a poor imitation and so I won't do it. Let me know if you guys want a poll or not. I'm not really sure myself, it might not be any pairing at all really.


	3. Unusual Friend

A/N I am well aware of how history says the battle of Thermopylae went. Though I am no expert I have researched it somewhat. That being said, this is _fanfiction_ which means that if my story is different or aligns more with the movie 300 than the facts just go with the flow. Same goes with other events in history.

'_thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO, though I wish I did

Chapter Two: Unusual Friend

_Mt. Olympus_

"Sparta did not commit as you planned Athena. What will you do now?" Apollo the god of truth, prophecy, healing and plague asked his half-sister as they watched events unfold upon the mortal world from Olympus.

Athena was worried over how things turned out. She had made plans and forged alliances with Theseus as her medium to crush the Persian Empire. It all depended on Sparta going on the war path though and committing fully to the cause.

That they had not committed entirely and it was left to Leonidas to head a small force was surprising. She was so sure that Sparta alongside Athens would lead an army of Thespians, Thebans and Arcadians to victory. It would be perfect for her city-state as it would give a glowing example of how might combined with wit would overcome any force.

Now all her plans were meaningless. Athens wouldn't go to war without Sparta. The rest of the armies wouldn't march if those two wouldn't commit to war either. Her plans for war were ruined.

And then there was Theseus to think of.

He would be furious that Perseus was on his way to the Hot Gates with only a few hundred Spartans. Unfortunately Perseus was already too far out to intercept and he wouldn't leave Leonidas to his fate without explicit orders from his king. Athena herself couldn't do anything to message Perseus as he would be even more infuriated that he was manipulated into action once more by Theseus.

Athena sighed deeply. "What can I do? If the mortals wish to throw stones to break the iron wall that is the Persian army then let them. Leonidas will fall."

Ares who was with them at the moment overlooking events spit in disgust. "Of course _my _city state will be sacrificed for _your_ plans Athena. Should I have expected anything else from you? Goddess of wisdom indeed."

Ares glared hatefully at Athena and left.

He was beyond angry that many a good soldier would walk to their deaths all because Athens wouldn't commit to the war. All because Athena had made sure all her plans hinged on Sparta leading the charge.

It was a bit unfair to fully blame Athena and by proxy Athens since it was the Spartan council that had declined raising an army to fight, but he didn't care about being fair. Leonidas, who he actually liked and considered a great king, would die.

Along him would die many fine soldiers of Sparta. Soldiers that would only be helpful and make Sparta better in the future if they lived.

The gods watched over the next week the events of the mortal world. They watched as Perseus, son of Poseidon joined Leonidas on his trek to Thermopylae. They watched him integrate himself into the Spartan ranks.

Even Ares' dislike for Athenians was lessened as he watched the young hero.

They watched intently as the Spartan soldiers came upon Pellana. The gods had seen what the Persians did to the village. Unfortunately there was little they could do and had to suffer hearing the prayers from the villagers as they were slaughtered.

All paid rapt attention as Perseus found a little girl. Many were confused as he asked for water and wondered what he hoped to achieve. The girl was very likely going to meet the same fate as her kinsmen. Death.

Apollo's eyes widened in surprise as Perseus healed the girl. He was shocked that the demigod healed her, more because of how he did it than the actual action. It was a song Apollo recognized as the same ones used by his son Asclepius.

He smiled and nodded in approval at young Perseus' actions.

The little girl hadn't died and likely wouldn't have immediately but Perseus had healed her to avoid even the smallest possibility. It was impressive. Though Apollo noticed how tired he was afterwards and noted he couldn't do that often.

Artemis who had joined her fellow Olympians in observing the affairs below suddenly snapped her head up in surprise. She turned to Apollo briefly after Perseus healed the girl and left the room.

Apollo was confused at first and then eyes widening in realization followed his twin out. "Artemis where are you going?"

"Apollo." Artemis slowed to allow Apollo to catch up to her, "You know who that girl is don't you?"

Apollo nodded. "Yes but you know we can't interfere directly in the affairs of mortals. No matter how much I wish I could." He reflected sadly.

"Yes that may be true. You can't," she started walking again, "and I can't but that doesn't mean we are completely helpless. Have faith in me Apollo. And faith in young Perseus. What unfolds next may be surprising for all of us to watch."

Apollo slowed and allowed Artemis to leave Olympus. _'What are you talking about Artemis? Why should I have faith in young Perseus? What did he do?'_

The god of healing was feeling very confused. There were too many questions left unanswered by Artemis.

In the end he headed back to watch what happened next. He would trust his sister and hoped to find out all the answers to the questions she had left.

* * *

_2 days later_

"By the gods… I really should have asked Theseus to get me some ambrosia or nectar before heading out. Asclepius was right. I have absolutely no talent in healing if I require looking after more than the patient when I'm done." Perseus mumbled to himself as he groggily regained consciousness.

As all of his senses returned to normal and he shook his head to clear the spider webs he heard shouts. He blinked blearily and sat up to have a look around.

As his eyes started to focus and he searched for the source of all the commotion he took note of the time. It was dark out, clearly since there were stars out, and it seemed that they had stopped to rest for the night.

The shouts were coming from a few of the Spartan soldiers huddled around a fire and eating. The little girl that Perseus had healed was currently shouting her lungs out at one of the soldiers.

"Give me back my food you big bully! And shut up already! He's just tired and that doesn't mean you can make fun of him you stupid smelly monkey!" The little 10 year old girl was on a rampage apparently.

The soldier who was in the process of eating his food could no longer ignore the girl. All his friends were now laughing at him and some even pantomimed smelling a foul odor. "Listen brat. I don't care if the other brat wakes up in the next 10 seconds, he's still a weakling for passing out and I'll say it to his face. Now get out my face and let me eat or I swear to the gods that I will hurt you so badly that what happened a few days ago will seem like love taps. This food should go to those who need it and have the strength to take it. Right now, neither one is you."

Said little girl squeaked in fright but refused to back away even as the soldier got to his feet. He stepped forward to make good on his threat and was reaching out to grab her when his hand was stopped. The Spartan looked up about to yell at who had stopped him when the words got caught in his throat.

Perseus' green eyes glowed like Greek fire at the moment as he glared heatedly at the Spartan. The man in front of him was one of the few who disliked Perseus on principle and didn't care to hide it.

Perseus of course knew that he couldn't win _everyone_ over but even so, he disliked being hated for no reason.

"Get your hands off me Athenian. Your little parlor tricks might have impressed everyone else the other day but that doesn't mean I will hesitate to teach you a lesson." The man spit out hatefully.

Perseus narrowed his eyes in anger. "What were you about to do soldier? Surely you weren't going to strike this child were you?"

"I said get your hands off!" The soldier curled his fingers into a fist in his other hand and swung.

The raven haired teen ducked under the punch, never releasing the arm, and when he rose up he pulled the Spartan towards him. Off balance the soldier stumbled forwards and straight into the rising knee of Perseus. The wind was knocked out of him but Perseus continued his assault by spinning around and driving a vicious elbow into the bent over soldier's temple.

The soldier crumbled as his world faded to black.

None of the other Spartans dared to move after the Athenian teenager knocked out one of their own.

While not everyone may have liked Perseus, it didn't mean they would antagonize him. Especially not when their own king obviously liked the boy.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Captain Artemis asked as he made his way over to the commotion. It was his job to make sure the soldiers never got out of hand while resting and roughhousing but not even he could patrol 300 men by himself.

"Nothing captain." Perseus answered. He went over to check on the little girl and found her staring at him in amazement.

As he approached her though she grew a little nervous and backed away from him. "You-you're not going to hurt me are you?"

Perseus stopped in his tracks. "Why would you think that?"

She pointed at her overturned bowl of food that the unconscious soldier had dropped. "Because I want to eat too and-"

Captain Artemis had at this point doled out some more food for the girl and handed it to her. He also handed another bowl to Perseus who he could tell had just woken up and was hungry.

"Eat little one. He shouldn't have taken your food its true but you have no reason to fear us. Apart from Perseus' you are under King Leonidas' protection." Captain Artemis' last words were aimed at the Spartans who did nothing to stop her food from getting stolen.

Satisfied that he had suitably cowed the more rambunctious members of the group Captain Artemis looked Perseus over. He made sure to give him extra food since he looked in terrible shape.

The young demigod had been asleep for almost two days now so it was understandable.

"How are you feeling?" Perseus asked his brow furrowed in concern. "I'm not very good at healing so I hope that you came out okay."

Slowly and a bit unsurely the little girl started to eat. At this point the three of them had moved away from the rest of the Spartans. Leonidas and Stelios had taken notice that Perseus was awake but let him to talk to the little girl.

She chewed on her food slowly and swallowed before answering. "I'm fine, thank you." She said quietly. "I'm not sure what I'll do now though. My family is gone. My village. Everything."

Perseus looked upon the blonde blue eyed girl sadly. When her shoulders started to shake to restrain her tears he sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"I'm sorry we couldn't prevent that. And I'm sorry we haven't caught the ones responsible. Rest assured though that we will do everything we can to make sure they don't get away with this." He promised.

Wiping away a few stray tears from her eyes the sky-blue eyes of the little girl met the jade-green of Poseidon's son. "What's going to happen to me now?"

The Captain looked at her sadly. "We can't take you with us little one. We hope to find someone on the way to the Hot Gates that would be able to take you in. We march to war. It is no place for a child."

The little blonde stared at the ground forlornly. She understood what he was saying but even so, to be leave the person that had saved her life after having her family so viciously ripped from her already was disheartening.

"Don't worry Captain Artemis. I've taken care of things. Walk with me little one." Perseus offered a hand after he got to his feet.

The Captain just let him go. While he didn't understand how Perseus had arranged anything while knocked out, he would trust the young warrior. He'd been shown no reason not to.

Reluctantly the little blonde got to her feet and followed him out into the hills. They walked perhaps a minute or two away from the rest of the Spartan contingent until the fires of their camp were but candles in the distance.

Perseus stopped and took a look around at his surroundings. Deciding that he'd walked out far enough he brought his fingers to his lips and whistled sharply.

Nothing happened for a few minutes before from the shadows of a tree a figure emerged.

From behind the tree walked a girl about 15 years of age, dark hair braided in plait hung down her back. Her eyes as black as onyx and with a slightly upturned nose that somehow complemented her regal features. She had a slight silvery glow to her and walked forward with a determined stride. There were visible weapons on her, a silver bow and a dagger at her side.

Perseus smiled at seeing his unusual friend Zoë, hunter of Artemis. Zoë still unused to treating any male with more than a modicum of respect only let a small smile flicker across her lips.

As she came to a stop a few feet from Perseus, she glanced at the small girl that was trying to hide behind his legs. "My lady Artemis told me of your request Perseus. How you prayed to her before succumbing to unconsciousness. Is this the young maiden? Pray she is in good health or else you shall face my lady's wrath... and mine."

Perseus smiled despite the threat his friend Zoë gave him. "No doubt Lady Artemis knows we march to war." Zoë nodded slightly to confirm this. "I cannot in good faith bring a child with me. So yes I did pray to Lady Artemis for help in keeping her away from the battlefield. I did count on the fact that it is her niece to make her more willing to help, I'll admit that."

The little girl's eyes widened in surprise. Quickly she snapped her head in Perseus' direction. "You knew! How?"

Zoë answered for the both of them. "It is obvious. You have a certain feel to you that can be easily picked up by other skilled demigods or in worst case scenario monsters. Monsters call it a demigod scent. Really it's just the aura of the gods, your heritage shining through."

"But then is that why you healed me?" The little blonde girl asked sadly.

"No." Perseus shook his head to emphasize this. "I healed you because you were hurt and young and didn't deserve to be in such pain. You were dehydrated and had a weak heart, one of the few things water could have helped with when combined with the song of healing Asclepius taught me."

Zoë who had been keenly observing the two was only slightly surprised that Perseus had healed the girl. Artemis told her of the mission the Spartans and Perseus were on. While seemingly suicidal her respect for the male demigod willing to risk so much to defend his homeland increased if only slightly.

Zoë had met Perseus years ago and slowly befriended him over time.

Most of it had to do with Perseus tagging along and nipping at the heels of his nephew who was older than him, Hippolytus. Hippolytus was one of the few males that Artemis had favored, if only because he had sworn himself to the hunt and an oath of chastity.

That he suffered a tragic ending did not discount how well Artemis viewed him. Because Perseus often followed Hippolytus wherever he went, Artemis and her hunters had seen him often over the years, since he was but a child of five when he started following his nephew around.

None of the hunters, despite their great dislike of men, could bring themselves to hate or show animosity to a child. So slowly and because of Hippolytus, they taught him to always respect girls.

His efforts in pleasing them and the fact that even as a child he was a funny troublemaker had allowed him to grow on the members of the hunt. Not all liked him but none outright hated him like they did other males.

The worst anyone had been was Zoë, and only because she was new to the hunt did she completely ignore the boy. Her recent history with men and reason for joining Artemis was all too fresh in her mind.

It was only recently though that Zoë had seen him in any sort of favorable light. That was mainly due to Perseus' actions towards her. Apart from being extremely respectful to all girls, he had done her a great favor.

King Theseus was known far and wide as a strong and able king, but also wildly popular amongst heroes. One such hero was Heracles son of Zeus. It appeared that on a visit to see Theseus, Heracles had gotten very drunk and bragged about his deeds over the years.

Perseus being a brother of Theseus was there when Heracles boasted about how he recovered the golden apples of immortality from the garden of the Hesperides. Angered at what he considered detestable actions, like tricking Zoë into helping him and taking all the credit, Perseus had challenged Heracles to a contest of skill to win Anaklusmos back.

Heracles being overconfident from drinking too much wine had accepted his terms and trying to humiliate Perseus' had offered a contest of swimming to decide the winner. Of course he had underestimated the son of Poseidon and so he lost, badly.

Once he had recovered the sword, Perseus' had immediately set off to meet Artemis and her hunters. He at the time didn't know Zoë very well but recognized her enough from Heracles' bragging. As soon as he met her he had offered Anaklusmos back to her with his apologies.

Zoë had been beyond shocked at the fact that a male had done something like that for a girl he didn't even know and had no obligation to help. From there their friendship started and developed from complete strangers to that of strange but cordial friends.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the little girl walked over to her and tugged at her dress. While she had been reminiscing at her strange relationship with Perseus, her two companions had finished their goodbyes.

"I'm ready to leave now miss Zoë. Thank you for coming for me." The little blonde said, gratitude evident in her tone.

Zoë nodded curtly and turned to walk away, more than ready to complete one of the quests set to her personally by Artemis. Before she could though the little girl rushed back to Perseus and hugged him.

Caught by surprise, that still didn't stop him from returning the hug. "Be safe little one. And be respectful, Artemis is one of the few goddesses that will do everything to protect her followers so you should be thankful. You will find a new family amongst them, and even if you don't wish to join they will be able to help you start a new life."

The little girl nodded as her head was buried in his chest. "Thank you. For everything." She mumbled quietly.

"Goodbye Perseus. We shall meet again, I'm sure." Zoë called out after the girl had returned to her side.

"Goodbye Zoë. And goodbye-" Percy started before he realized he didn't know her name.

"Phoebe. My name is Phoebe daughter of Apollo. Thank you for saving my life Perseus son of Poseidon." The blonde, blue eyed daughter of Apollo explained mischievously to the shocked teenager.

She giggled at his surprised face but comprehension dawned on his features as he realized she must have heard of his heritage from the Spartans.

'_Yes I thank you as well son of Poseidon. Thank you for saving my daughter.'_ Apollo the god of healing and prophecy spoke to Perseus. His voice was but a whisper in the wind but Perseus heard it nevertheless.

Leonidas who had watched all the events unfold from his position atop a tree keeping lookout, nodded in approval at Perseus' actions. He too had recognized the girl as a demigod and knew that Perseus had done something that inadvertently would gain him favor from a god.

Now he saw that the young Athenian was also in the good graces of Artemis another Olympian. Things were looking better by the day for Leonidas and his troops. Any favor, no matter how small would be appreciated in their quest to stop the Persian army. _'It seems that having you along increases our chances of saving our homeland Perseus. I am glad now more than ever that I met you, son of Poseidon'_

* * *

**a/n **Things are starting to get underway but I promise that everything in this chapter was important for the story down the road. I introduced Phoebe to the hunt. I feel like she gets a bit too much of a bad rep sometimes so I'm going to try and incorporate her more. Hopefully it works out.

As always, leave all questions, concerns or comments on your way out.


	4. The Storm

A/N I aim to show a slightly more reluctant and at the same time stern and responsible side to the Greek Olympian Gods. If it helps you any to visualize what I'm talking about, I suggest you watch the movie Immortals that came out back in 2011

'_thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO, though I wish I did

Chapter Three: The Storm

"Halt!" Astinos cried out to warn his comrades. "King Leonidas. We have company."

The son of Captain Artemis, the one sent ahead to scout had returned with news. He'd been scouting ahead for any dangers or Persian scouting parties. Astinos was the first to climb one of the hills they needed to cross and get a good view of what lay ahead.

As the rest of the 300 ascended the hill, they were greeted by the sight of several hundred Arcadians. Also intermixed among them were a few men who wore the armor and colors of Athens.

Out of all the new men gathered there one in particular stood out to both Perseus and Leonidas.

Perseus grinned as he ran forward to greet one of his former teachers. "Daxos! You got my message." He frowned as he noticed the numbers of the soldiers behind Daxos. "Where is the rest of the army?"

Now Daxos frowned in confusion. "The rest? You only sent word that you would come to the Hot Gates along with the Spartans. You weren't very specific in your message and the King had no idea what you were planning."

Percy was surprised. "But he said that he only needed to know when we were leaving to mobilize the army. He did not ask for anything else!"

Daxos worded his reply carefully. "No offense to King Leonidas," Leonidas only waited for him to continue before doing anything rash, "but King Theseus expected Sparta to mobilize their entire army as well. He said that he wouldn't needlessly send soldiers to their deaths if the rest of Greece didn't commit."

Perseus' face lit with anger. "He lied to me!" He growled, "He said everything was already planned and accounted for because of _her_. Now I find out that he hadn't finalized everything already? That he was waiting for another city state to act before Athens?!"

Daxos frowned. It was known by very few but recently Perseus and Theseus held animosity towards each other. A few of the men around them grew slightly worried that Theseus had apparently not committed as much as his own brother hoped.

Leonidas dismissed it as he assumed Theseus had similar problems to his own. A council full of idiots to be precise. "Worry not young Perseus. I'm sure King Theseus would have sent more men if he could. What we have here is more than enough to whip those sorry Persians and boot them off our country."

Behind him all the Spartan soldiers erupted in laughter and agreement.

Daxos placed a hand on his former pupil's shoulder in an effort to calm him. "Perhaps there is more to our Kings plan than we can glean right now. All we can do is march forward. I very much doubt King Theseus would order you to battle without some sort of back-up plan to ensure your safety."

Perseus nodded grimly and only hoped he was right.

Many of the Arcadians looked slightly uneasy though, at the idea of marching against the vast army of Xerxes with only a few hundred soldiers. Yet they were ready to defend their country and protect their families no matter the cost.

Besides, it was well known that Sparta and Athens had the strongest of Kings. To know that Leonidas marched to war alongside them calmed a great many heads, and they also had Perseus, the brother of Theseus to boot!

That night as they finally reached the Thermoplyae Pass, Leonidas, Perseus, Daxos and Captain Artemis went out to see if they could get a rough count of the Persian soldiers. They had the high ground and looked out to the Gulf of Malia where it was assumed the Persian Warships would soon appear.

What they saw made their blood run cold. Even in the dim light of the waxing crescent moon, they saw a near solid fleet of ships blanket the gulf. There was so little room between ships you could practically cross from one end of the gulf to the other without ever setting foot in the water.

"Athena almighty." Daxos whispered, "How are we supposed to defend against that?"

Even Leonidas grew concerned at the mighty fleet. "Perhaps praying to the gods wouldn't be such a bad idea this time Athenian. Though as a Spartan I think I'll stick to praying to our patron Ares. Any favor we can win from them would be extremely helpful against an army of this size."

Despite himself, Perseus couldn't stop the grim chuckle that escaped into the air.

"We shall pray tonight my friends. We shall also feast and be merry, for tomorrow the battle begins." Perseus added.

Captain Artemis looked to Perseus, a slight widening of his eyes in surprise. "Well said young Perseus. Well said. For tomorrow, we shall push these motherless dogs out of the arms of Greece herself! They will rue the day they set foot on this land."

With slightly renewed vigor, the leaders of the Greek strike force left their outpost and returned to their men. Leonidas informed the Spartans of their enemies and advised eating and drinking plenty to prepare for the next day.

Daxos went to the Athenians to try and settle their nerves, the men not quite as fond of war as Sparta. Arcadians and Athenians alike were somber for a time before also preparing a large meal for the night. Perhaps their last night for more than a few.

Perseus however, went off on his own to gather some things he needed for that night.

He alone knew that while praying to the gods was fine and settled your nerves, without the proper sacrifice and arrangements the gods wouldn't life a finger to help. It didn't matter that he was a son of Poseidon. He knew that to even catch the attention of a god he had to burn something that would distinguish him from the countless other Greeks across the lands no doubt doing the same thing.

Perseus went to his pack and brought out the few supplies he'd dragged all the way from Athens. Things that he knew would be essential if only because they might, just _might_ raise their chance of success.

As everyone around him built their fires and cooked meals, Perseus went to the highest cliff overlooking the Gulf of Malia. He gathered enough wood for a fire and kindling and set things up.

He worked at it for a time before he had a healthy blaze going in front of him. One that would suit his purposes perfectly.

From his pack he pulled out a long bundle of cloth wrapped around some very special plants. Not special in the conventional sense that they were worth a lot of monetary value, no, but special in how if used properly they could change the tides of any war.

Ash, and the sap within commonly known as manna. Celery, great bundles of it adorned into a crown usually worn by the champion of the Isthmian Games. From the food set apart by the Spartans to cook, Perseus had also taken the choice cuts of ram.

After he had all the things he was set to burn laid out before him, Perseus offered a prayer to the gods as he tossed everything in.

Ash and manna, both sacred and favorites to gain the attention of Ares the god of war and Zeus the king of all the Olympians. Celery, a plant held in high regard by Poseidon and would also surely gather his focus on Perseus.

"My Lords, please, we do not ask for much. We do not ask for you to interfere directly, we do not ask for you to do our work for us, we ask only for the smallest sign of approval. Please, send us a sign, anything that you favor us, that you favor Greece in the upcoming war. The mortal king Xerxes, who dares to call himself a god, must be pushed out. So please, Lords, rulers of man, send us a sign." Perseus asked. He wasn't going to expect the gods to come down themselves and slay the Persian army, but even a small sign would be good for morale.

If Zeus sent an eagle to watch over them, if Poseidon shook the earth before the enemy marched to scare them, if Ares sent a woodpecker to appear before the king of his city, any one of those signs would boost the morale of the Greeks immensely. The Spartans might even be emboldened enough to hold the entire Persian army off by themselves.

So Perseus asked his favor and then left the fire burning. Leonidas arrived soon after and also sacrificed his entire meal to Ares the god of War. Daxos came up next to sacrifice his meal to Athena the patron of Athens.

Once everything was said and done, the three most visible leaders took up the first watch over their men. Each hoped that their prayers would be answered. Even a small acknowledgement of their requests would be great.

* * *

"Huh. Will you look at that… my son's pretty clever isn't he? Most would just expect us to help or listen to their prayers without thinking to catch our attention." Poseidon, earth shaker, storm bringer and lord of the oceans commented humorously to his brother.

Zeus too watched the events unfold beneath him. Unlike his children though, who all tried to hide their interest in the upcoming war by watching things in their own personal temples on Olympus, Zeus watched everything from his throne.

Poseidon who had a somewhat personal stake in things joined him.

Zeus cut an imposing figure sitting there on his throne, the scowl on his face only aiding his image. "He is reckless brother. Bringing such a small force to face the army that the Persians have gathered. Then again, perhaps he takes strongly after us. We did much the same against our own father."

Poseidon laughed at the reminder. Those were dark times but in the end the gods had won out, led by the elder three sons of Kronos. "I wonder what your kids will do brother? You know they are watching this and listening as well. Though how they thought they were being discreet about it is beyond me."

Zeus smiled wryly, "Yes, it's not like all of them gathering in Artemis' temple while she is out isn't suspicious."

Poseidon laughed again.

"Although," Zeus continued, "I cannot in good conscious allow a mere mortal to proclaim himself the god-king and remain unscathed."

Poseidon looked like he expected that sort of response as he got to his feet. "That is true. No mere mortal can pretend to be on the same level as us when not even our children dare defy us. Let us show him the error of his ways shall we brother?"

Zeus nodded reluctantly as he added, "I will admit, if I did not owe young Perseus a favor for what he did for me I wouldn't be so generous."

The lord of the seas looked towards the lord of the skies as he quirked a brow in confusion. "Do you speak of Hebe?" Zeus nodded. "Ah I remember now. He did help her out did he not? Well I owe my son a favor as well. I can't say I've been his favorite ever since that whole Hippolytus fiasco."

Both Olympian kings were now on their feet, weapons in hand. "Let us help the young hero then. I can tell that if he lives he will grow to be one of the greatest of heroes. It would only do Olympus good to have him in our favor."

An excited grin grew on Poseidon's face. "We do not normally meddle in mortal affairs brother. What excuse is there for this?" He asked somewhat mockingly.

Zeus ignored the tone. "I am only clearing any and all debts to the one that helped my daughter. Nothing more than that. I believe he asked for a sign to be sent. A small storm should suffice to boost their morale. What is your excuse brother?"

Poseidon smirked. "That is true. I don't fight my children's battles for them but… the sea has forever been an unpredictable domain."

Both Olympian gods eyes met one another. In silent agreement each shed their forms and burst into blinding white light.

One light crackled and hissed as it traveled to the ozone where it set to work.

Another bubbled and swirled before dissolving into mist and heading to the earth.

* * *

Down at the Thermoplyae Pass, a storm was brewing. All the soldiers noticed how the wind picked up and the pressure dropped drastically.

Without warning lightning split the sky.

A cheer went up from the Spartan and Arcadian soldiers, those that knew what Leonidas, Perseus and Daxos had done.

"HA! Let those worthless Persians fear the power of Greece. Surely this is the will of the gods, a sign that they approve our cause. Zeus stabs the sky with thunderbolts! No one but the true gods of Greece would affect our weather so easily and fast." Dilos, another of Leonidas most loyal men shouted out.

Hurricane winds battered the ships in the gulf.

All of the soldiers jumped to their feet and rushed to the edges of the pass to look out to the waters.

Every vessel on the gulf was battered to and fro, each blow from the wind ripping and damaging the sails to shreds.

Every soldier cheered and grew excited at what was happening below.

The seas swirled, rain fell in torrents, the waves crashed again and again against the wooden hulls. With every crash of water, with every flash of lightning, with every crack and boom of thunder, Spartan, Arcadian and Athenian alike cheered.

Only one among the men kept his Spartan reserve.

Only he, only King Leonidas.

Consequently he was the only one to notice the absence of a certain raven haired demigod. One whom he was sure was the sole reason for the gods reacting so favorably to their cause.

After all, when he and Daxos had fought side by side before in other battles, their prayers to the gods weren't answered in this manner. No, Leonidas knew that Perseus somehow was the one responsible for this. Especially since the King of Sparta knew that the young warrior was already favored by Artemis of the hunt, and possibly Apollo of healing, both children of Zeus.

Combined with being the son of Poseidon the storm bringer and it was fairly obvious whose prayers were the ones answered.

He kept his composure though. If Perseus was not celebrating with the rest of the soldiers he had his reasons. What they were he couldn't guess, but at the moment the King of Sparta only watched in satisfaction as Xerxes fleet of warships was smashed to bits on the rocks.

* * *

A/N Sorry for the long absence but… FREE NETFLIX!

I'll try and keep things going now that I'm fairly certain Netflix regrets giving me a free trial that I will cancel as soon as the month is up so I don't have to pay. Hope you liked the chapter. Things will start heating up soon. Though I'm not sure if I'll update this next or perhaps my other story. Whichever one of the other 3 catches my interest.

As always, please leave all questions, comments, and concerns on your way out. But seriously, watch Immortals. It might actually help when I describe things and situations further down the road.


	5. Young Love

A/N Please recall the a/n from ch 3.

'_thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO

Chapter Four: Young Love

_Mount Olympus, Temple of Artemis_

"He's just pretty much perfect isn't he?" Hebe goddess of youth, daughter of Hera and Zeus sighed deeply as she watched events unfold on the mortal plane, with Perseus at its center.

Artemis, her half-sister, only rolled her eyes. "He's not so bad for a boy but I wouldn't call him perfect." She drawled.

The goddess of childbirth did not like men. That was a well known fact; however she didn't outright despise them either. She just thought that the vast majority of them were conceited and full of themselves so it was a woman's job to knock them down a few pegs.

That her sisters constantly fell in and out of love with men annoyed her but it didn't mean she would hate them for it. She just didn't care for talking about men all the time as they seemed to love to do.

Even so, when away from her hunters, Artemis preferred hanging out with her sisters over her brothers. They might be annoying but no one was as annoying as Apollo or Ares.

"I knew he was incredible when he saved me but now I know he's smart, kind, and a born leader too." Hebe retorted with a dreamy expression on her face.

Artemis barely stifled the groan that threatened to escape. There was very little she could do now. Every time Hebe got into one of her moods she would go on and on extolling the virtues and recounting the story of how she met Perseus.

It's not like Artemis herself didn't know Perseus. She had actually known the kid since before he lost his first baby tooth. He'd actually been quite funny when he talked to the hunters and had a noticeable lisp because of missing teeth.

"Is that so?" Artemis commented blandly. "Well we can only watch and see what he does next and hope he is as good as you claim."

For a moment nothing else was said as both sisters continued to watch the Spartans. Briefly Artemis hoped and almost believed she had somehow avoided Hebe telling her story again.

Alas it was not to be. "I was foolish to trust those mortals on Pompeii but I'm so glad Perseus was nearby." Hebe started to recount.

Hoping that if she didn't show signs of paying attention to the story Hebe would stop, Artemis ignored her as she kept going.

"Father said that they were building a brand new temple dedicated to him and uncle Poseidon and I was curious so I went to see it. I had to disguise myself as a mortal first though." Hebe paused when she saw Artemis take a seat and so followed her example.

"I can see why that'd be interesting. Father and Uncle Poseidon rarely like to share anything." Artemis stated dryly.

After getting comfortable Hebe continued her story, "Of course while I was down with the mortals and asking questions about the temple I didn't realize some men were watching me. They figured that since I showed up alone that I was an easy target. So they tried to kidnap me."

Artemis despite hearing this already still narrowed her eyes in anger. To her it didn't matter if you were alone or not, no man should attempt to force himself on a woman.

If Perseus hadn't already exacted justice she would have gone down herself to smite those mortals.

"I screamed but there were several of them and one gagged me. I was so scared." Hebe did in fact have tears gather in her eyes as she remembered the fear she felt at the time.

Artemis lifted herself off her seat and went to comfort her sister. Yes she wished that Hebe would stop telling the story but that was equal parts annoyance from hearing it so much and equal parts because she didn't like seeing her relive that horrid experience.

"The-they wanted to f-force themselves on me." Hebe gasped, she sniffled and then her mood lifted a little, "but then the most wonderful thing happened!"

Artemis had her arms around her sister to comfort her. She already knew what happened next. After she heard about Hebe's encounter the very first time she'd rushed to confront Perseus to get his side of the story.

"Perseus was on the island too! He heard me screaming and my struggle. And like a true hero, like the noble and kind hearted man he is he rescued me from those wicked men and then punished them! He punished everyone just for me. He must have known it was me and rushed to my aid." Hebe's brilliant smile at that memory could have lit up the darkest of temples.

Yes, Artemis had confronted Perseus over what happened.

The story he told was only slightly different to Hebe's.

He did indeed rescue her sister and punish the men but he didn't leave it at that. He also didn't rescue her simply because she was a goddess. He had merely done what was right for any girl.

It seemed that Perseus was on Pompeii in order to resupply and get repairs on his ship. Poseidon his father had set several challenges for him, as was custom, before he allowed and deemed Perseus strong enough to reveal his heritage.

Say what you will about the god of the seas and his womanizing ways, he cared for his children. He made sure they grew up as happy as the ancient laws allowed him to interfere and as strong as he indirectly could influence.

From there he would test them before allowing his children to reveal their heritage. It was just a method of insuring they were strong enough to look after themselves.

The challenge that the son of the sea had to complete? Why it was to conquer and defeat in battle the sea monster Cetus. The very same that was prophesized not to be able to be killed without the blood of a gorgon being spilt.

Yet Perseus had defeated the monster, he hadn't killed it true but that wasn't the quest. The quest was only to beat it in battle which Perseus did accomplish.

It tired him out though and exhausted his supplies so on his way back to Athens he'd stopped in Pompeii. When he got there he was appalled and angered to find that the city was making a mockery of the gods. Of his father!

Building temples that weren't meant for worship but for ridicule. They wouldn't sacrifice anything important either, more often than not burning trash or the worst parts of an animal so they could keep the choice cuts for themselves.

Of course those weren't the worst of their crimes, but they were the most blatant. They also, in the belief that they were untouchable, declared themselves immortal and future rulers of the world. To make things worse, if they did sacrifice anything but trash or something equally insulting, it was usually young women and children for whatever twisted reasons.

So Perseus grew angry and when he had found men attempting to rape a young girl his anger was unleashed. He saved her, unsuspecting who she really was, and ushered her to the boat. He made her set sail while he went back to the island.

Hebe assumed at first that Perseus was going to punish only the men but really he was going to destroy the whole city. None should make a mockery of the gods. That was only asking for trouble.

"I fell in love with him Artemis. I love him for what he did and I know we're destined to be together. What else but love could have brought us together like that? In a situation where his character and will as a hero were tested and proven true? My hero and future husband Perseus." Hebe implored as she grasped her sister's arm.

Artemis felt slightly uncomfortable at the honest pleading look her sister was giving her.

Hebe desperately wanted to believe Perseus loved her because there was no other reason he rescued her. That it wasn't because he was one of the few honorable men that would do that for anyone not just a beautiful girl like Hebe in mortal form.

What he did to the island though would go down in history. At Pompeii, the city which made a mockery of the gods, there was also a volcano on the island. It was named Mt. Vesuvius and like all volcanoes was connected to the earth.

It had been inactive for many years which is why the people of the city felt comfortable building their houses and everything around the base. Until Perseus showed up and made it blow up that is.

Yes the son of Poseidon, the earth shaker, caused a tremendous earthquake that made Mt. Vesuvius unstable and erupt. The damage was uncontrollable and lives lost were astonishing.

The entire city was buried below the lava of the volcano.

Zeus of course understood why it was done. He and Poseidon were in fact planning on sinking the island with a tsunami but Perseus beat them to it. He with a single act of fury and rage solidified his position as one of the strongest and most powerful demigods alive.

With his ability to unsettle even a volcano and make it erupt, his power rivaled even the great Heracles and certainly compared to Theseus who it was said could raise a tsunami on a calm day on his own.

Of course when Zeus found out that Perseus had rescued his daughter from a terrible fate, Zeus was even more grateful to the young demigod. He didn't outright show it, but he respected the young man.

"Oh look Artemis! Perseus is asking for help. And I do believe Father is going to grant him his wish!" Hebe quickly redirected their attention back to the Hot Gates.

"Hmm. That's interesting. Father detests involving himself in mortal affairs. I can see why Uncle Poseidon would do it but not Father." Artemis pointed out as she watched the storm Zeus and Poseidon created tear apart the Persian fleet.

"Oh! Do you think he approves of Perseus perhaps? I did tell him all about my hero after all." Hebe curiously wondered, hoping her father wouldn't be against her love of the young hero.

Artemis shook her head ruefully. "I cannot say." _'Although I doubt that's the reason. More than likely father just didn't want to be in the debt or owe a favor to any mortal.'_

The twin of Apollo then noticed how Perseus slipped away while his comrades cheered the storm on. "Where is he going?"

Hebe frowned and also tracked his movements. "I don't know." Her eyes then widened slightly as she noticed that he went to meet someone. "Who is that?"

Artemis' eyes narrowed as the form of the visitor became clearer. "That's Zoë."

Hebe gasped and whirled on her sister. "What is she doing?! She won't hurt him will she?"

A roll of the eyes later and a shrug was all Hebe got in answer. "Probably not. Who can ever tell between those two? They're friends but sometimes she likes to threaten him anyways just to remind him she doesn't like men."

Hebe breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment there I was worried he might be in danger. I know he's strong but I do worry about him sometimes." She explained wistfully.

Artemis only nodded absentmindedly. _'Zoë did ask for a personal day to run an errand. Is this the reason she asked to be away from the hunt? Normally I'd be concerned but now I'm actually worried she just might hurt the boy. What that despicable half-brother of mine did to her is unforgivable and I know Zoë doesn't take kindly to men.'_

The two sisters watched over the encounter that Zoë and Perseus shared. Only slight surprise registered on either one of their faces as they found out what it was all about.

Both approved at the outcome of their meeting.

Hebe did get a little jealous though at the casual way Zoë behaved around her hero. "She's so lucky. So are you Artemis. If I was allowed I'd try and talk to Perseus as much as possible. But Father doesn't want me leaving Olympus alone anymore…" She trailed off sadly.

Artemis could sympathize with her sister's frustration. Despite being a goddess she felt powerless and trapped on Olympus.

Unfortunately Artemis fully agreed with her father on this occasion. After all, if the somewhat juvenile and wild goddess of youth hadn't been rescued that day after she snuck off to Pompeii who knew what might have happened.

That was perhaps the only downside to being a daughter of Zeus. He tended to be very overprotective with them unlike his sons.

"Have patience sister. I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet him someday. Father can't keep you up here forever, he's just being cautious. He'll relax soon enough." Artemis smiled kindly at Hebe.

Hebe smiled back but also plotted for a way to meet him herself if her father took too long. She loved her father dearly but it wasn't too much fun having to be treated like a child, even if she was the goddess of youth.

Maybe she could ask her mother for help? _'Now there's an idea. Mother will surely help me! She always has a plan and gets her way.'_

* * *

_Thermopylae Pass_

Rain poured and winds roared. The storm created by two of the elder three gods was frightening in its power.

Perseus ignored it though as only he'd heard the sharp whistle while everyone was watching the gulf. Knowing what it meant he left the rest of his companions and made his way to a secluded section of the Hot Gates.

Once there he met once more in little less than a week his friend Zoë.

"I came by to let you know that Lady Artemis did in fact invite Phoebe into the hunt. She accepted." Zoë said as they each took a seat on a flat rock under a rocky overhang shielding them from the rain.

Startled out of his thoughts, Perseus took a few seconds to respond. "Huh? Oh well thanks for letting me know. I was a bit worried she would struggle to fit in."

A hand reached into the bag by her side and pulled out a sheathed sword. "Here. I heard from Lady Artemis that you intend to stay here and represent Athens against the Persians. Perhaps this will help."

Perseus took the sword curiously and unsheathed it, eyes widening in shock. "Are you sure about this? I know how much this means to you. I don't think I should keep it."

Zoë scoffed and seemed to find the ground very interesting all of a sudden. "Who said you can keep it idiot? I'm only being nice and lending it to you since your own sword is of terrible quality."

Perseus smiled at the obvious deflection. She was a truly stubborn girl who refused to admit that she saw Perseus as a friend and worried about him.

"Won't you need it though for when out on the hunt? The game you girls go after isn't exactly the normal fare of boars and deer." Perseus asked genuinely curious. He was a bit reluctant to accept the sword if she would be safer having it in her possession.

He'd won the sword back from Heracles and given it back immediately to Zoë. To take it away from her now just didn't seem right.

"I believe you will need it more than I Perseus. There are rumors that Xerxes has and brings his own brand of monsters. That blade will serve you well. But I will not accept it back without your apologies for sullying my blade!" She snapped, daring him to challenge her.

Perseus grinned and pretended to inspect the sword so she wouldn't snap at him some more.

He understood her character a bit better than most would think. This was just Zoë's way of saying, 'come back safely and live through this' without actually saying the words.

"I will take care of the blade Zoë. Thank you." Perseus strapped the sheath to his side and got to his feet.

There was little more to say between the two. Neither was very good at making small talk, which might be the reason they got along so well.

Zoë also got to her feet and threw a hooded cloak over herself to protect from the rain – lightly glaring at Perseus who remained perfectly dry – and started to walk away. She had one more thing to say to him and didn't bother turning around to say it, "That blade, as you've guessed is made of Celestial Bronze. Its name is anaklusmos. It will always return to the user so there's no excuses for losing it understand?"

"Right, I understand. I'll return it as soon as I can Zoë."

As she walked away and her form started to disappear in the horizon, she whispered a few words quietly, "Don't die on me Perseus. You are not what I expected to find in a man ever again, so don't die on me."

* * *

A/N Please leave all questions, concerns or comments on your way out. I do read each and every review and they all help in some way. The more you review the quicker I update.

Seriously though, I know Pompeii was centuries after the Battle of Thermopylae but I don't care. It sounded cool when I wrote it and so it stays this way in my story.


	6. The Message

'_thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO or HoO

Chapter Five: The Message

_Thermopylae Pass_

Dawn had arrived and with it new hope for the Spartan, Arcadian and Athenian soldiers. After they witnessed the power of the storm the gods unleashed the night before they were certain few if any Persians had survived and could easily be driven out of Greece.

When Daxos and Stelios were sent to investigate the damage and returned later than expected, many were understandably worried. Stelios looked slightly eager for some reason even if he looked fairly resigned as well.

Daxos looked worried, far more worried than a man with good news was supposed to look like.

"Why do you smile Stelios?" Perseus asked, hoping for some good news.

Daxos looked at the Spartan, clear frustration on his face as he already knew what was on his mind.

"Perseus, misplaced son of Sparta," Stelios grinned as he continued to refuse to address him as an Athenian, "I've fought countless times, yet I've never met an adversary who could offer me what we Spartans call a beautiful death. I can only hope that with all the worlds warriors gathered against us, there can be one amongst the Persians who's up to the task."

Perseus narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean when you say all the worlds warriors? Surely there can't be that many left after last night's storm."

"Oh but there are." Stelios answered, maniacal grin firmly in place, "Their camp remains as vast and full of men as the gulf was of ships yesterday."

Everyone within hearing distance eyes widened at the bold proclamation.

Leonidas, face grim, addressed the leaders of their military force. "What we saw yesterday was but a small fraction of the Persian army. Zeus and mighty Poseidon were kind enough to rid us of what they could, but it wasn't their entire force. Our battles shouldn't be fought for us anyways."

Astinos looked to his father for confirmation of the words spoken and brought to them by his superiors. Captain Artemis knew that neither Daxos nor Stelios would lie or exaggerate about their enemy. If they said that there still existed a vast army for them to fight, then it was more than likely true.

"Spartans!" Leonidas roared getting the attention of all his men. "Prepare yourselves; we have much to do before we introduce the Persian invaders to Thanatos."

All the gathered Spartan soldiers roared in approval while the Athenian and Arcadian soldiers calmed themselves.

Leonidas was truly a great leader amongst men. With but a few words he'd turned near desperation at facing such an impossibly large army to hope and resolve to fight and demonstrate the power of Greece.

The King of Sparta exuded strength, confidence and unwavering faith in their success. It was awe inspiring for anyone to see. He was a shining light, a bastion of courage and determination.

For the rest of the day, the men toiled, hard at work at their given task by Leonidas. His idea had been brilliant in its simplicity.

He'd ordered the men to build a short wall at the middle gate to constrict the flow of the enemy. It would force any incoming forces to be funneled straight into the first line of defense by the Greek soldiers.

Less movement for the enemy meant less room to attack and the Spartans and Athenians could meet them head on in a more equal setting, being vastly outnumbered. Fighting on their terms, the Greek resistance could dictate the pace of battle and largely ignore their own lower numbers of men.

If used correctly the famed Spartan phalanx would cause devastating damage to any incoming enemies.

"Move!" The sound of a whip accompanied the order. "Move! Forward I say!" Once more the whip cut through the air and all the soldiers looked around to find its source.

Many of the men were busy at the top of the cliff building the low wall to funnel the Persian army. They wanted it finished quickly before the first wave of Persian invaders.

Astinos tapped Perseus on the shoulder and gestured to the rocky path the wound itself up the cliff. Heading their way was a contingent of wary Persian soldiers and a man on top of a caravan, hoisted off the ground, as he whipped his servants to pull him along faster.

All the gathered Spartans watched as the man and his fancy chair pulled up in front of them. He had the air of a pompous fool, one who thinks himself untouchable and near perfect as can be.

"Stop here! Who commands here?" He asked, looking amongst the men building the wall.

His guards, such as they were carrying weapons and shields, looked fearfully at where they were. It seemed that only they had noticed the amount of bodies stacked alongside the path they walked. The bodies of their comrades in arms now staked and strung up like scarecrows.

A grim warning of what faced them if they so continued their path.

"I am the emissary," the dark skinned and mustached man began, "to the ruler of all the world. God of gods," Perseus scowled at the arrogance of that statement, "King of kings," Stelios and Captain Artemis shared an amused look before they glanced at Leonidas, "and by that authority I demand that someone show me your commander."

It was inevitable that _some_ of the men still lugging huge stones to build the wall would snicker. Others outright laughed at the audaciousness of the fat man's claims.

With nary a word they all turned back to their task of reinforcing the weak points of their wall.

The fat man scowled and spoke in a low and what he considered threatening tone, "Listen. Do you think the paltry dozen of your sleuths scares us? These hills swarm with our scouts."

Quietly Stelios set the small boulder he was holding down and walked over to pick up his sword.

"Do you think your pathetic wall will do anything except fall like a heap of dry leaves in the face-" The tirade of the arrogant emissary was cut off as he finally took notice of what his guards had been staring at fearfully the entire time.

Bodies.

Dead bodies everywhere, some skewered on poles, some stacked atop rocks, and some thrown haphazardly atop the very wall the Spartans were working on.

His lower lip trembled in fright and with wide eyes the emissary swept his gaze around everywhere, desperately hoping that it was all an illusion. That all the men sent out that very morning for reconnaissance on the Greek soldiers weren't already dead.

"Our ancestors built this wall," Stelios said as he walked towards the emissary sword in hand, "using ancient stone from the bosom of Greece herself. And with a little Spartan help, your Persians provided the mortar."

"Athenian help, not just Spartan." Perseus interjected helpfully even as the rest of the Spartans around him laughed.

Astinos stepped forward, "You'll have to forgive him. He seems to have hit his head and thinks he is from Athens when clearly he was born a son of Sparta all along."

Daxos watched all the men laugh at this but not in a cruel way. It seemed that Perseus had managed to fit right in with the soldiers of Sparta.

Swallowing nervously all the guards that accompanied the emissary raised their shields and weapons. The emissary himself sputtered in rage, "You will pay for your barbarism!" he shouted out.

Perseus had discretely moved his hand to the hunting dagger holstered on the belt on his back the entire time the emissary was talking. While it wasn't ideal for what he had planned, it would do the job just fine.

Meanwhile the Persian fat man grabbed the whip he was using earlier and reared his arm back, fully intent on cracking the whip on the Spartan soldiers.

Stelios was already on the move, sword unsheathed as he leapt into the air to cut the man of Persia.

Slowly, like watching things unfold with the speed of molasses, the whip swung back to gather energy and crack forward.

Barefoot and with no shirt on due to working in the hot sun, Stelios was already in mid air with the sword high above his head.

Almost no one saw how fast Perseus reached behind him and grabbed the dagger on his back. Daxos and Astinos who were closest were the only ones to catch sight of Perseus cock his arm back, aim and throw the dagger with deadly precision.

It flew through the air, spinning madly as it sliced the winds heading directly for the Persian emissary. It caught the arm of the Persian right as he had it ready to swing forward and slammed right through his flesh and stuck him to the back of the lavish seat he was sitting on while approaching the Greeks.

"My arm!" He shouted in pain.

Stelios while surprised wasted no time in finishing the job. Quickly he leapt forward and sliced the head off the Persian emissary.

All the guards grew angry as the head of their diplomat went sailing through the air.

The son of Poseidon quickly stepped forward and unsheathed the celestial bronze sword that Zoë had gifted him the night before. "Look upon my blade, pay heed to my words Persians. Your emissary was a fool for coming here and making demands. If your god-king," Perseus spat our distastefully, "has a request of us then send him here himself. I am Perseus, son of Poseidon the true god of the seas. I bleed red as any other man here, in my body flows blood not ichor like a true immortal. If Xerxes claims himself the god of gods, then have him come forth and prove it to me, me a demigod who would know and recognize an immortal over a fake delusional cowardly man."

Angry at the perceived insult to their king the soldiers nevertheless gathered the body of their emissary and trekked back down the cliff side.

Stelios walked up to Perseus and clapped his shoulder, "Well said misplaced son of Sparta, well said."

More laughter rang out from the gathered men.

"Now let's finish this wall you lazy bastards, for I have a feeling that tonight will be exciting." Stelios claimed as he went right back to work.

Perseus looked out over the gulf and then in the direction of the Persian camp. _'I have a feeling that anaklusmos will come in handy very soon Zoë. Thank you for lending me such a fine weapon. I can feel the presence of monsters just over those hills. The question is… are the monsters I feel the ones we're familiar with or are they men twisted so far and evil that they are their own brand of monster unto themselves?'_

The images of what happened at the village of Pellana and to Phoebe were still fresh in Perseus' mind as he tightened the grip on his sword.

* * *

_Mt. Olympus_

"And so you see mother. He's perfect!" Hebe exclaimed as she twirled in joy after trying to convince her mother Hera how great of a hero Perseus was.

Hera watched her daughter twirl to and fro with a fond look on her face. She loved her daughters, more so than her sons at least. If there was any way to make them happy she would happily go out of her way to do so.

Hebe was perhaps her favorite daughter, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud. Hebe was just so full of energy, cheerful and had a mischievous streak a mile long.

In short, she brought joy to the queen of the heavens many times over.

"Well what do you propose I do child? You know that your father has forbidden direct interference in the mortal war going on right now. He might have thrown up a storm to help but that was more to pay off a debt of gratitude than anything and it wasn't directly aimed at the Persians as it could have easily wiped out the Greeks as well." Hera patiently explained to the pouting face of her daughter.

"You know that father actually likes him though. He wouldn't have helped any other hero no matter how much he owed him if he didn't like him. I just need one day mother, just one day to go down and talk to Perseus. Please!" Hebe begged eyes wide and earnest expression on her face.

Hera quickly looked away and tried to ignore the pulling on the sleeves of her dress. "I'll… talk to your father." She quickly snapped her head back in Hebe's direction after hearing a cheer, "but I make no promises! You know how worried he was after _that _incident. And I was too." Her eyes softened as she looked at the young goddess' face and stroked her cheek tenderly.

Hebe quickly got up and hugged her mother in glee. "Thank you mother. Thank you so much. I'll be careful though mother. After all, my hero will be there in case anything happens." She chirped gleefully as she ran out of the throne room, missing the shadowy figure hiding behind a pillar by the entrance.

Athena stepped out of the shadows once she was sure her half-sister was gone and Hera had left. Slowly she walked away and to her temple; hand on her chin in thought.

'_If Hebe visits Perseus then perhaps I can sneak him a message from Theseus to pull out. I promised Theseus that his brother wouldn't get hurt, but then I also thought that Sparta would commit fully to the fight. There's little I can do to assure the young demigods safety if we aren't allowed to directly interfere.'_

Plans already whirring in her head over what to do next, she didn't realize she was lowly voicing some of her thoughts out loud. Athena also didn't realize and fully recognize where she was headed as she almost walked into Ares.

Only due to Ares quick step to the side did they avoid a collision. The male god of war glared at his half-sister and then promptly ignored her until he heard her faint whispers. "Perseus… Gates… fall back… Leonidas."

Curious despite himself, Ares allowed his sister to walk away without another violent confrontation as had been happening of late. _'I don't like what I heard but I don't know exactly what's going on either. Whatever it is it involves that young demigod Perseus. Perhaps I should pay closer attention to my soldiers down at Thermopylae. Whatever Athena has planned I'll be sure to counter it and guarantee it never comes to fruition. If it involves Perseus, Apollo would probably like to know as well.'_

Quickly Ares moved away and to his half-brother's temple to inform him of this newest development.

The gods had been forbidden to interfere in the wars of men. Zeus in all his wisdom had decreed that man should fight their own battles and that they couldn't rely on the aid of the gods for everything.

In order to enforce that ruling he'd forbidden Iris and Hermes from sending messages amongst the mortals and even amongst the gods themselves. This was done in the hopes that the Olympian gods would lose interest in the war if they couldn't find out as much information as they wished from it.

Little did he know that lack of communication would only spurn the Olympians to pay closer attention and resolve to involve themselves even further because of it. Zeus was king, but not even a king can foresee all the outcomes of every decision he makes.

Even the ones that seem inconsequential at the time.

A lesson that Leonidas, Theseus and the self proclaimed god-king Xerxes would learn all too soon.

* * *

A/N As I said, I know roughly what history says of the battle of Thermopylae. I sincerely stress that you read the domain name of the site before anyone tries to correct how wrong I have anything in this story.


	7. It Begins

'_thoughts or flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO

Chapter Six: It Begins

With a slight downcast expression, Leonidas returned from his post on the cliffs to his soldiers. He had just finished talking to a hopeful, but ultimately ineffective former child of Sparta.

The only good news brought from the encounter was that Ephialtes, the disfigured man, told Leonidas of a goat's path that needed to be defended in case the Persians found it and flanked the Spartans.

Even that was not good enough though, for Leonidas to allow Ephialtes to join his ranks as he requested.

Perseus walked up to the de facto leader of the Greek resistance. "King Leonidas. It's the fifth day of our arrival, by now the message we sent back to the Persians has been long received. They will attack today. What are your orders?"

Leonidas assessed the young and undoubtedly strong Athenian in front of him. It was rare for any leader of a Greek power to cede leadership to another, more so for Athens to do it to Sparta. Perseus knew his limits, knew that Leonidas was far more skilled in the art of war, and Leonidas liked that about him.

"Walk with me Perseus. We have a few new developments to discuss before the Persian invaders march." Leonidas pulled the young Athenian along and over to his friend and second in command Artemis as well as Daxos the deputy captain to Perseus.

The four highest ranked soldiers of Sparta and Athens had put their heads together to come up with something to hold off the Persian army. It wouldn't be perfect but it was the best they could come up with on such short notice.

Soon after working everything out as best they could they each went and gathered all their soldiers. They wanted to let them know now everything that they had come up with.

"We must dispatch some men to guard the goat path." Leonidas finished, after detailing the location and its tactical advantage to those around him. "Any volunteers?"

Predictably the Arcadian soldiers shuffled uneasily as Leonidas asked his question. It was obvious many wanted the somewhat easier job of guard duty but didn't want to be shamed by volunteering for it.

Stelios grinned and caught Perseus' eye. "How about you young Perseus? Surely you can see the _wisdom_ in guarding the path? We don't want to be flanked do we?"

Perseus scowled thinking he was being mocked and responded heatedly. "I will fight the Persians face to face and show them why it was a mistake to invade Greece. If others want to defend the goat path that is fine but I will not be babied by doing that when I can be of greater help on the front lines."

Dilos a man who was known for his loyalty to Leonidas and had a way with words of inspiration poked Stelios in the side. "Pay up Stelios. I told you that our young misplaced cousin would want to fight alongside his brethren of Sparta. Who knows how it was he ended up in Athens but we'll worry about that later."

Astinos, the son of Captain Artemis grinned and laughed along with the few other Spartans that heard the byplay between the two. It seems that Stelios and Dilos had set this up from the beginning, to try and make it look like Perseus was definitely Spartan and not of Athens.

Any further talk was cut off immediately as the ground started shaking, rocks were bouncing around them, and everything started vibrating.

"Earthquake." Astinos commented blandly before looking to Perseus.

Everyone else that had momentarily panicked started to calm down at the idea of it being their own comrade, a demigod son of Poseidon who caused the earth to shake. Some just thought that maybe he was a little aggravated at the small joke Stelios and Dilios had at his expense.

Unfortunately Perseus soon squashed that thought as he grimly shook his head no, that he wasn't the cause of the ground shaking.

Leonidas stepped forward and placed a hand on Perseus' shoulder. "No." He gained a brief look of anticipation and glee before addressing all before him, "Battle formations."

Arcadian, Athenian, and Spartan alike instantly knew what he meant. They at once grew fearful, yet resigned and a bit anxious to finally go to battle against the mighty army of Xerxes.

They'd heard rumors of how his army could shake the earth when they marched and drink the rivers dry, now it was time to see just how much truth there was to the bragging each had heard of the mighty Persian army.

Off in the distance Perseus could see the dust kicked up by the thousands of soldiers heading their way. The rumbling of the ground hadn't stopped and the march of their feet mimicked thunder in sound.

Perseus took a deep breath and picked up his armor from the ground where he'd put it earlier. He snapped the armored breastplate on and fastened the forearm, and shin guards on as well. He might have connected with the Spartan soldiers but he chose to don the blue cloak that signified Athens instead of the red of Sparta.

"Oho maybe you are from Athens after all young Perseus." Stelios teased, "No Spartan is wearing armor right now. We all look forward to possibly finding someone that can grant us a beautiful death."

Anaklusmos was hooked to his side and Perseus picked up another sword made of regular bronze, knowing the Celestial Bronze of Zoë's sword wouldn't work on regular mortals. He also picked up the shield he'd brought all the way from Athens and strapped it to his back.

It was a gift from his brother Theseus, one that he'd received upon his promotion to Commander of the Athenian forces. While it was true that he and Theseus weren't on the best of terms right now, Perseus still treasured the shield.

How could he not? It was one of the few heartfelt gifts he'd ever gotten, not just ones trying to win his favor. That it also helped keep him safe was only a bonus.

Perseus snorted after he registered Stelios' words. "Yes the fact that you are all shirtless and wearing only the bare minimum to hide your junk just screams _bravery_. I'm very obviously missing out on the male bonding you guys seem to want by giving everyone a free show. And you call us Athenians the boy lovers." He grumbled.

Dilios laughed uproariously at that. "Maybe you shouldn't get into a battle of words with one who was raised by scholars Stelios."

All further talk was halted as they could now see the entirety of Xerxes' army headed their way. How a near solid mass of men were running straight at them to try and crush the Greek contingent.

Spartan, and a few Athenians lined up shoulder for the first time in years, perhaps ever to hold off a common enemy. The Arcadian soldiers had been relegated to the task of guarding the goat path.

Perseus stood alongside Leonidas, Daxos, Stelios, Astinos, and Dilios. He was ready for the fight of his life. He was ready to defend, to be the first obstacle that Xerxes would encounter in invading Greece.

All the soldiers were fighting not only for their city and land, but for their country, for their comrades. For freedom.

"This is where we hold them." Leonidas roared, "This is where we fight!" He slammed his spear on the ground the sound echoing even through the rumble of the approaching army, "This is where they die!"

A resounding chorus of agreement roared throughout the soldiers.

"Remember this day men," Leonidas continued, his voice rising above the din, "for it will be yours for all time."

Perseus turned and addressed his few Athenian kinsmen and the rest of the 300 Spartans at his back. "Fight not only for glory, and honor, but for your country as well. Fight for freedom, fight for mother Greece to live on."

The incoming Persian army was coming ever closer to the waiting Greeks. Many never realized just how large the enemy forces were. The numbers present easily dwarfed the Greek soldiers. It had to be at least 100,000 men coming at them alone.

Who knew how many more lay in wait?

Perseus saw the fear in some of the soldiers' eyes, the despair settling in even among the Spartans who grew worried that all their efforts may be in vain. Yes they wanted to see a glorious death, but that didn't mean they wanted their deaths to mean nothing, to be brushed off and deemed inconsequential before the Persians went on to kill all their families and friends.

Perseus raised his sword high above his head and said the only thing he could think of to motivate both Spartan and Athenian alike. The only thing that that would make them fight better and remember that they held the favor of the Olympian gods themselves.

"Remember one thing my brothers. No matter what happens here, on this day, heroes will be born." He declared boldly.

Leonidas nodded grimly and added, "Yes heroes will be remembered," his voice went higher as he finished, "but legends never die!"

* * *

High above the realm where mortals lie, the gods of Olympus watched the beginning to his battle intently. Their gazes never wavered; they dared not lose focus on what was going on.

Zeus nodded in an approving fashion as he witnessed the leaders of the Greeks speak.

Poseidon grinned proudly at the efforts his son was putting in.

Artemis and Apollo, the twins of Leto, hoped that the efforts of the great warriors below would not be in vain. Not before somehow thanking or talking to one of the boys –no _man-_ that they approved of.

One particular goddess was paying close attention to a certain raven haired green eyed demigod. Because of her focus on him, she caught the words of the King that stood right at his side, shoulder to shoulder ready for battle.

"Now that's an interesting idea." She mused quietly to herself. "Perhaps that's how I can get him away from there?"

* * *

"History will remember the day," Perseus took up Leonidas' inspirational rant, "that the Persian army crashed like a wave on the unmovable rock that is Greece. How they crashed and folded before the intelligence of ATHENS!" the few Athenian soldiers present roared in agreement, "How they collapsed and retreated from the strength of SPARTA!" Spartan soldiers echoed the proud statement, "History will remember us. And we will become shining examples of why it is foolish to attack Greece! WE. ARE. LEGENDS."

While the leaders of the Greek resistance were busy prepping their men, Xerxes' army had lined up just a few hundred paces away from them. They formed ranks and split down the middle to allow a single man on horseback to address the King of Sparta.

"Spartans!" He called out, "Lay down your weapons."

"It seems that they didn't understand our last message young Perseus." Leonidas chuckled darkly, "Why don't you show them what your throwing arm can do again?"

Perseus grinned maliciously as he grabbed the spear he'd stabbed into the ground at his side. With all the grace and ease of a man who's spent countless hours practicing and honing to perfection his every movement, his form and his power, Perseus hefted the spear in his hand and took a few quick steps forward to gain momentum and throw the spear.

It sailed effortlessly through the air, slicing through the wind and staying true to his aim. He'd thrown it high so that it would travel far, the higher it went the more powerful it would be when coming back down.

The spear moved in a perfect and great parabolic arc through the skies as it sailed closer and closer to the Persian horseman. Everyone could see he was getting agitated at receiving no response from the Spartan King about their surrender.

It was lucky that the wood of the spear blended in so well with the rocks of the cliffs, as well as falling with the sun at its back so the Persian never saw it coming. He never saw the weapon that instantly took his life as it tore into his chest.

All the Persian soldiers were astounded and fearful of the power behind that throw. The great accuracy it held, thrown from such great a distance. This was what the soldiers of Greece were capable of? Maybe them sending so few to defend against Persia wasn't so foolish after all.

"Phalanx!" Leonidas ordered as he and all his men raised their shields and aimed their spears forward. To the waiting Persian army he cried out, "Persians! Come and get them."

* * *

"Speak little godling for we have little time,"

"You think us meddlers when our cause be benign,"

"Today, on this day, many paths will be set,"

"but when all's said and done, many will fret. Fate is fluid, fate is just, our duty resented but do it we must." All three women spoke the last lines in tangent. All three synced perfectly to deliver their message to the visiting goddess.

It was more than a bit annoying how they always spoke in rhyme though and many times in riddle. It was near impossible to get a straight answer from them, but then again, no fate is set in stone and no destiny is clear to discern so it was understandable.

She shivered as no matter how often she glimpsed them and no matter how powerful she knew her father to be, she could never fully come to trust or see the Moirai in a good light. They had the power over destiny itself, something no god could ever hope to match, which made them so terrifying and yet necessary to please.

Their dwellings were simple compared to the much more extravagant ones of the gods of Olympus. They sat in a bare stone room, with only a platform in the middle where they all sat in their rocking chairs weaving the threads of destiny.

Their elevated status was to symbolize how they were above all, even the gods as they did their work. None who visited them were allowed to sit on their level. They had to stop before they reached the top. If you were lucky and they spoke to you, you could sit on the first step of their platform.

They had the power to be seen as welcoming and far more approachable but they chose to wear the forms of three old women with silver hair. Each one wore a bandana on their head to hold back the silver of their tresses. All looked ancient and wore cotton dresses over their bony figures.

Hebe finally worked up the courage to approached Clotho the Fate deemed the 'spinner' of the thread of life. "Lady Clotho, if you would do me the honor of hearing this humble one's request? I have only one question I wish answered and would beggar myself at your throne if it so pleases you."

Hebe bowed in front of Clotho before she turned and bowed to Lachesis and Atropos in turn. She knew that she would need the favor of the 'allotter' and the 'unturning' Fates as well. One that measured the thread of life allotted to each person and the other who chose the manner and time of their death.

Amused grins flitted through all of three of the ancient sisters' faces.

"Oh she is humble, oh she is meek, perhaps we will listen to that which you seek."

"Daughter of Zeus, daughter of Hera, a princess that begs, it must be the end of an era."

Hebe flinched, thinking they only humored her and her question would never be answered.

"Come now young goddess, tell us your woes, or be gone from our sight, no longer impose."

"Of course, I will not waste any more of your time. I have fallen in love with a man, a hero truly worthy of any woman's heart. I wish for him to love me as I love him, but I am not like my sisters or a few other goddesses, I will not ensnare his senses and play with him. I wish to know then, if I have a chance, if there is a possibility that I can marry this hero? If I have truly fallen in love with the man I will one day call my husband?" Hebe asked, her voice full of emotion; want, love, hope, sadness, and even fear all present in her tone.

All three sisters laughed at her question, causing Hebe to look down sadly, thinking her fears true.

"This was unexpected; there must be a story, one full of adventure, valor and glory."

Hebe looked up in hope, her heart lifting just a tiny bit. Maybe they laughed not because her question and hopes were never to be but because they were actually amused and interested in why she would care for a mortal?

"Our interest is piqued, so tell us young princess, how did it happen? How was your heart captured by a man that Zeus did not flatten?"

Hebe rejoiced at hearing their question. Even if eerie, they're synchronicity actually helped to calm her spirits. It just meant that she might actually stand a chance at having her question answered instead of being flatly rejected or told to leave.

Her mother advised against seeking the Fates but Hebe was stubborn. She refused to pine over a man that would never love her or that she had no future with. So she sought to find the answer to her question to quell any doubts she may have had of actually pursing her love.

She settled down on the first step of the platform and began her tale. "Well first, his name is Perseus, son of Poseidon and brother to Theseus the King of Athens..."

The Moirai listened in slight amusement and interest as Hebe spun her tale. They listened quietly and didn't interrupt unless it was to have the little goddess clarify something unclear. When it was over they answered her question, for they decided things were much too boring as they were.

Even the Fates get bored at times. If they could reveal a little information about the future then things could get interesting for them to watch over. Not too much though as that would be disastrous, but just enough to get things started.

They were the catalyst for the wheels of destiny to spin. But the future is murky and never set in stone and crystal clear to be looked at, even the Moirai knew this. Which is why they felt safe in sharing just enough with the little goddess to satisfy her.

The ultimate conclusion to young Perseus' fate wouldn't change, but the path he'd have to walk until then just grew a little bit more exciting.

* * *

A/N sorry for the long absence but I was on vacation at the… beach. Right, the beach since I had to build an epic sandcastle. My fellow author anaklusmos14 was in charge and taking messages for me while I was away. So I'm back now and totally ready for all feedback you can give me on this chapter.

Side note and question: So I hear the Sea of Monsters is out now. Is it worth the money to go see it? Cuz let me tell you, the movie version of The Lightning Thief totally sucked and I'm not trying to go for a repeat of an epic failure.


	8. First Encounter

'_thoughts of flashback'_

"normal speech"

Disclaimer: I own nothing of PJO

Chapter Seven: First Encounter

"_Perseus, young Perseus, will he rise? Will he fall? Doomed to despair, and never stand tall? Will he crumble and waiver, or will he rise above all and become only braver? These questions and more; will ensure that his life will not be a bore."_

"_Choices, choices many there are, if he chooses the right path, his life will go far."_

"_A warning, some caution, advice that we give, if he stays at the pass, not long will he live."_

"_He is a hero that much is true. Sadly borne before his time, this much we knew. His life can be great, his legend grow grand, but only if he knows where to make his last stand."_

As Hebe walked back to Olympus these words rang clearly through her mind. Not a single word was lost as she listened intently to what the Fates had told her. As always they spoke in rhyme and riddle but she was confident she knew what it meant.

They had given her great news, ones which lifted her heart, but it was the last few things they said that worried her most.

It seemed they warned her of the choices Perseus had before him. If he chose wrong, he would die or suffer an equally grave consequence. If he chose right though, they implied that he would be a great hero, a legend even, one that would be a shining example for many others to follow.

The only puzzling thing was why they bothered to tell Hebe at all? Yes she wished to know if they could be together but knowing what she knew now, it only made her even more worried that they couldn't.

"I have to talk to mother. She'll help me figure something out." Hebe vowed before running quickly to Hera's temple. Even so she couldn't help but twirl in happiness as she remembered the rest of what the Fates had told her.

With a squeal she spun a full 360 degrees and couldn't stop herself from skipping along the way. "They said he'll marry if he lives! That he'll marry before he reaches full adulthood which means we'll be together soon. His future bride is one from the royal line of Olympus. It's definitely me. Oh I'm so deliriously happy."

As Hebe rushed away to find her mother, too happy to keep her voice down or care who was around, she didn't notice how stormy grey eyes watched her skip away. Those same eyes that were quickly trying to put together and piece what little information the owner picked up from overhearing her talk.

"Where could she have gone that made her so happy?" Athena asked herself. There was too little information, and not one to resolve to guesswork she shook off her curiosity and left to watch the battle at the Hot Gates continue.

Things were turning interesting even for the gods. Yes they wanted the Greeks to win but not even they held high hopes for the small force of Spartans to hold the massive Persian army off.

* * *

War horns sounded, the men all roared, winds blew and everyone's adrenaline shot through the roof in preparation for battle. No, not a mere battle, but war.

The Persian army rushed the grouped together Spartan and Athenian soldiers, eager to crush them and repay in kind the dishonor they'd already dealt their horseman and messenger from days earlier.

Leonidas held fast, ensuring that no Spartan had the bright idea of rushing out of the phalanx. Perseus gripped his sword tighter, just wanting to get things done and over with.

The distance between the two armies grew smaller and smaller. From several hundred paces, to less than a hundred. The seconds dragged on for the Spartan-heavy side of men, the opposing Persians seemed to take forever to get closer.

"Hold!" Captain Artemis yelled out to the men, ensuring none panicked and backed out or rushed forward.

"Do not move an inch! Yield not a step! Give them nothing." Leonidas roared over the incoming sound of the Persian army.

"But take from them… everything!" Perseus finished, picking up where Leonidas left off.

All who doubted him, all who still saw him as a child playing in a man's role, all silently reevaluated Perseus as he took command. Yes he was a demigod, and all knew he had the rank of Commander of the Athenian military but many doubted his real strength.

Some believed that he was handed that title since he was a brother of Theseus not because he earned it.

Watching him now, how he inspired his men, and even those he'd only been with for a short time, they knew they were wrong.

Like a wave crashing upon a ship's hull, the Persian army crashed into the phalanx. It had the same effect, they were pushed, they were forced to dig their heels into the ground, but they didn't break.

The great force of hundreds of men pushing with all their might against the shields of Sparta, it could not break the phalanx. The Persians pushed, they rammed their bodies again and again against the wall that Leonidas' men embodied.

All that was accomplished was for the Greek soldiers to dig their heels into the earth, troughs being dug as they put in the effort to not budge even the smallest amount. They were here to make a statement, to make a stand; try as hard as you want, you won't be stepping foot into Greek soil so casually.

They were now at a standstill, the Persians and Greeks, no force was yielding, neither side was giving up.

Perseus knew this was the opportunity to counterattack. "Push! Push them back!"

Around him, the Spartan and Athenian soldiers were taunting the Persian soldiers. Asking if this was truly the might of Persia and their vaunted god-king Xerxes.

With a mighty heave the front line of the phalanx threw their shields forward and their opponents back. Caught off balance the Persians weren't prepared to defend against the swords and spears that ended their life.

Because of the narrowed nature of the Hot Gates, the Greeks had several rows of men to hold the phalanx. Every time one row got tired or threw their men off, the row behind stepped forward to pick up the slack.

War is an ugly thing.

Some refer to it as an art, as a skill that should be honed to attain glory, prestige and respect.

Perseus hated it. He hated war and everything that came of it. He knew it was necessary, he couldn't deny that, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it too. It wasn't so much that he hated the thought of death, gore, or the blood, but that he feared the danger his friends and allies were in.

He was one man, a skilled warrior without a doubt, but only a single person. He couldn't go around and protect his friends as much as he would have liked to.

Not during war. Everyone being in danger was the very meaning of war.

His friends possibly dying, someone always in danger, something always needing to be protected, he hated it. It was no wonder he disliked war even if he knew that the only way to prevent or possibly avoid any future battles was to be so good at it that no one dared challenge you. A catch-22 if there ever was one.

He had to be good at war to prevent war; moronic is what it was.

Again and again the phalanx buckled down and weathered the storm that was the Persian army. Over and over did they push them off, push them back and kill each successive line that crashed on the Greek shields.

Sparta's harsh training and strict military way of thinking paid off here. The soldiers moved as one, covering each other's backs, a shield always at the ready for any incoming attacks. A sword was always in motion to stop any Persian trying to attack.

Athens prided itself on superior military strategy and thinking their battles through, but even they had to admit that they were glad it was Sparta they fought alongside with. Few could match their warriors in strength and skill.

They were pushing forward instead of being pushed back, Perseus shouted out commands repeatedly to remind his soldiers not to get excited and run forward. As one the machine that was the Spartan and Athenian alliance stepped forward, cutting a swathe through the invading Persian army.

Men were butchered and skewered with ease. Few looked like they even understood how it was they died before breathing their last breathe. Blood soaked the earth and the innards of scores of men littered the area.

War was ugly.

'_War is definitely not art. War is not beautiful. But I must bear with it, for if we didn't fight here and now, war is the least of the problems Xerxes would bring to Greece.'_ Perseus steeled his will and kept on attacking and defending.

"More pressure!" Captain Artemis called out. The phalanx once more threw their shields up and killed even more Persians. "Attack!" That word signaled the first line of Spartans to break their formation and take the battle to the enemy.

No longer would they sit back and wait, that wasn't the Spartan way. Now it was time to show Xerxes exactly why Sparta was considered one of the strongest militaries in all the great lands. It was time he was reminded why he asked for a surrender and then alliance from Leonidas instead of trying to conquer first.

Perseus ran forward, a Persian ran to meet him and he brought his sword down trying to bifurcate the son of Poseidon. Without breaking his stride, Perseus battered the sword slash away with his shield and pierced the man through with his spear.

He hurriedly pulled the spear out and spun, not wasting the momentum of his actions, he used the spear as a makeshift club to brain another Persian soldier that was coming at him from the side. When the Persian was thrown off his feet from the blow, Perseus stepped forward and speared him through the chest to make sure he would never rise again.

Alongside him and only a few paces ahead, Leonidas was cutting through the Persians with ease. At one point he saw how Leonidas hefted his spear, took aim briefly and threw it effortlessly into the chest of a Persian running at him.

Not losing any momentum the King of Sparta ran forward and yanked the spear out only to embed it in yet another Persian's stomach. Unfortunately he lost it there as he wasn't quite fast enough to retrieve it before he was once more attacked.

Perseus unsheathed his sword and ran to fight side by side with King Leonidas. To any and all that watched the encounter, if it wasn't for the blue that distinguished Perseus of Athens, one would think he'd been fighting alongside the Spartan King his whole life.

Their teamwork was flawless. Where one ducked another thrust his sword forward, when one pulled away to defend the other stepped up to attack. Like Typhon waded effortlessly through Greece when he rampaged, Perseus and Leonidas moved against the tide that was Persia no more hindered than a horse through a field of grass.

Their swords sliced through the air and into the flesh of the invaders. Blood was constantly unleashed but none of it flowed from the veins of Leonidas or Perseus. Death was a relief for many of the Persians as the mere sight of the two unstoppable juggernauts that were dispatching men with ease, was enough to give anyone nightmares.

Leonidas used his shield like a battering ram, smashing it into the sides, heads, chests, anywhere that would throw a Persian off balance. Perseus wielded his shield and used it to deflect any attacks coming his way.

He did not try and stop them, did not try and weather the blows but merely redirected their force away from him. At one point he took the shield off his arm as he'd gotten careless and lost pace with Leonidas.

A Persian was running at the King from his blind spot, intent on repaying him for all the blood he'd shed.

Perseus took aim and threw his shield forward with a mighty heave like he would throw a discus. He was glad he'd had a similar experience and his aim wasn't off as it caught the Persian square in the chest, alerting Leonidas of his presence and allowing him to decapitate the attacker.

The shield ricocheted off the Persian and luckily hit another off to the side also throwing him off his feet. Perseus ran forward to the disoriented and out of breathe soldier and quickly ended his life. He picked up the shield that Theseus had given him and sent a silent thank you to his brother.

For hours the two sides warred. No longer did the Spartans fear or have even the remotest hint of nervousness as the immense force sent to them that morning was cut down to a fragment of its former glory.

Out of breath but still high on the joy of battle Captain Artemis reached his King's side. "They look thirsty." He panted out.

The hot sun beating down on the backs of all was unforgivable on this day. Helios certainly did not pity nor care for the comfort of men.

Sweat ran down everyone's backs and the Persian side looked particularly exhausted.

Leonidas smirked victoriously. "Well then, let's give them something to drink."

Wordlessly the Spartan and few Athenian soldiers formed a phalanx once more. They marched forward, safe behind their shields at the waiting and nervous Persian soldiers.

Leonidas' intent was clear. He wanted to push the remainder of the men off the cliffs and into the water and rocks below.

As unforgiving as when they defended, the phalanx advanced forward to push the Persians. Try as they might the Persian soldiers couldn't break the formation and get away from the cliff.

They struggled, they fought and hacked viciously at the shields of Greece but it was for naught.

All remaining soldiers were pushed quite off the cliffs and into the Gulf of Malia if they survived. If they didn't they faced their death on the rocks sticking out of the water.

Given a bit of time to catch their breaths, Perseus turned to see if Astinos was still alive. They'd lost a few men in battle but not nearly enough to compare to the losses Xerxes just suffered.

He found the young Spartan going around and stabbing any Persian still alive. It was a kind gesture, even if many would think it cruel. At least he gave them a quick death rather than suffer as they bled out.

He walked over to stand next Astinos and took off his helm to run a hand through his hair. "What do you think they have in store for us next? Perhaps the famed Immortals that Xerxes commands?"

Astinos laughed and clapped Perseus on the shoulder. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were excited and looking for more battle?"

He didn't need to say anything but once again the young Spartan was teasing him about being a lost Spartan himself.

Perseus scowled and turned to the sound of horns blowing in the direction of the Persian camp. Where before it'd been a legion of men on foot ready to crush the Greek resistance, now Xerxes had sent a platoon of men on horseback, perhaps hoping to trample the hardy soldiers.

"Be easy men, they couldn't beat us with numbers and they certainly won't beat us because of what they ride." Leonidas assured his men.

As the thunderous sound of hooves grew closer and closer, Perseus' smile grew wider and wider. Many Spartans and even Leonidas looked at him with worry, thinking he'd lost his mind.

All of a sudden Perseus burst into laughter and stepped forward out of the phalanx the soldiers had settled into again. He walked with a strong and confident gait to meet the incoming Persians.

"Perseus! What are you doing? Get back here." Daxos called out worriedly in slight panic.

Perseus turned to face his former teacher, the smile still prevalent on his features. "At ease Daxos. It's time to show Xerxes what a child of the sea can really do. Let's see if the vaunted god-king can back up his words after this."

Though still worried, Leonidas and Daxos let him do as he wished. That didn't mean they'd sacrifice the phalanx though.

When the men on horseback were within shouting distance Perseus raised a hand up and took a firm stance. "Stop! I order you to stop and throw these pathetic excuses for men off your backs."

Many of the soldiers both behind and thundering closer though him crazy. Did the young Athenian really think he'd stop the Persians by simply ordering them?

None expected and were completely caught off guard by what happened next. The horses bucked and skidded to a stop before reaching Perseus. They threw their riders off their backs and proceeded to trample them to death.

The Persians were caught completely unprepared and could only scream in agony and horror as what to them, a madness gripped their steeds and turned them against their master. Once every single soldier had been thrown off, some had managed to kill their horses but were in turn trampled by others, the horses calmly trotted towards Perseus.

Daxos tensed and Leonidas readied to fight an insane herd of horses but nevertheless waited until word from Perseus came that he needed help.

Perseus sensing their unease turned to the horses first to speak and then he'd speak to the soldiers. "You have as asked, for that I will grant you your freedom instead of the death that awaited you if you had continued into this fight." The horses whinnied in seeming gratitude. Perseus pointed in the direction of the Hot Gates behind him, "Go, run wild, but do not bother or help the Persians again. I will make sure my father hears of this."

"_Thank you Lord." _One of the great black steeds neighed in response, but only Perseus understood him. _"We would never hurt the son of our forefather. Thank you for granting us our freedom young Lord."_

Perseus walked up to the horse and petted his snout and muttered a quick prayer to Poseidon before allowing all the horses to leave.

It wasn't until the entire herd of newly freed roans had departed that Leonidas allowed himself to relax. "What was that?"

The son of the sea turned to face the confused King and all the soldiers as well. "That is the reason why Xerxes is nothing but a coward and liar who shall be put to death for daring to impersonate a god. My father is the creator and lord of all horses. It was foolish to send them against me, a child of their lord."

Everything made sense now, all understood what the young demigod had just done.

Stelios barked out a laugh. "Well then, what surprises do you have in store for us now Perseus? I look forward to seeing what else you can do while we do battle together."

The emerald eyed teen who'd already seen far too much death with those eyes turned and looked to the Persian camp. "And I look forward to showing Xerxes exactly what someone with _real _godly heritage can do. It's your move now pretender. Show me what else you got."

* * *

**A/N** You guys are awesome for all the reviews you left. Thanks for the advice on the movie. Also, I might have stolen one of the battle things from anaklusmos14, the thing with the shield but I'm not sure. If I did, my apologies, but it was just too awesome not to put in.

As always, please leave all concerns, questions and comments on your way out. Thank you.


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